For related information on child’s obesity, visit:
Having an obese mother significantly increases the chances of child becoming obese as young, according to the study. The children from birth were regularly followed by measuring height, weight, body mass index, body fat, lean mass and waist circumference.
Child’s obesity is influenced by his mother even before the child is born. Child will be far more overweight at young age if his mother was obese or overweight before she became pregnant.
If the weight of the mother within one or two months before she became pregnant is more, then it will have a greatest impact on the weight of the child. The child will be more likely to be overweight three times by age seven compared to the child whose mother is of normal weight.
Many women eat diet that is high in saturated fats and sugars and do little workout. Therefore, the diet the mother consumes while the child is in the womb and while breastfeeding can lead to obesity.
Maternal over nutrition and obesity in pregnancy can also be harmful to the developing baby. Expectant mother should eat for two and they gain weight as part of the healthy pregnancy, but children born to women who put on excess weight during pregnancy are more likely to become overweight themselves.
The last two to three months of pregnancy and the first months of baby life are critical for the development of overweight, because the baby develops to learn the metabolism to adapt to the new environment.
The facts about obese children:
- Children lose extra body fat and become lean when they grow.
- Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy will be more likely to be heavy at all the 3 measuring points.
- Five percent of children who were Breast fed were also obese compared to babies who are bottle-fed.
- Children spend more time in watching television and playing games on the computer. These sedentary activities can also lead to obesity.
Diet for pregnant women to prevent child obesity:
Your child’s weight is associated with the die during pregnancy. Pregnant women have to eat 300 calories extra in addition to normal calorie consumption. The calories should be from good fats, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, protein, and whole grains.
To prevent child obesity, the mother’s diet should include all the nutrition for her and her baby. The nutrition includes folic acid, iron and calcium. Pregnant woman should consume eight to ten glasses of water daily in addition to soups and fruit juices.
