It is no secret that we are dealing with not only
adult obesity (and all the illnesses that result from that) but also from child obesity. According to Mayo Clinic, over the past 30 years, the rate of obesity in the United States has more than doubled for preschoolers and adolescents, and it has more than tripled for children ages 6 to 11.
New research shows that children are obese not just because of unhealthy eating but a child’s weight may be influenced by his mother even before he is actually born. Results of the study suggest that a child is far more likely to be overweight at a very young age – at 2 or 3 years old – if his/her mother was
overweight or obese before she became
pregnant. A child is also at greater risk of becoming overweight if s/he is born to a black or Hispanic mother, or to a mother who
smoked during her
pregnancy. Another study finds that babies of
women with a body mass index of 30 or greater have twice
the risk of having a child with complications. They are
more likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care
units and have a higher incidence of neural tube defects. And there’s a good chance that an overweight child will stay overweight for the rest of his or her life.
(Related:
Mommy Makeover)
How to prevent your children from becoming obese?
Pamela Salsberry, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of nursing at Ohio State University, has a few thoughts. “Prevention of childhood obesity
(Weight
loss surgery for children) needs to begin before a woman ever gets pregnant,” she says.
Here are a few other things to think about:
- A mother’s weight within a month or two before she became pregnant had the greatest impact on a child’s weight at all three weight measurement points. That is the time a woman must be very careful about her weight. In other words,
plan your pregnancy carefully. If you think you are overweight or obese, consider
losing those extra pounds before becoming pregnant.
- The risk that a child would be overweight at a young age increased with the degree of the
mother’s obesity. In other words, if you can not
achieve your perfect
weight, you must try to lose the most you can.
- Children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy were more likely to be overweight at all three weight measurement points. While dangers of smoking have been known for a while, it seems that many women still do not listen to doctors. Please stop smoking - forever.
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