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There is a link between childhood obesity and the diet of a pregnant mother, a new study indicates.
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Maternal diets high in inflammatory foods have been linked to an increased risk of weight gain in children.
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Eating more vegetables, fruits, fish and whole grains can be healthier for the whole family.
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Children’s obesity can start before a child is born, new research indicates.
It’s not only what children eat these days that increases higher obesity, but also what their parents eat during pregnancy, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on March 15.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have found that children are more likely to gain weight when mothers eat a diet high in processed foods and meats and few products, nuts, fish and whole grains.
According to the analysis of 1,459 mother-child pairs from a Harvard study in eastern Massachusetts, researchers found that children between the ages of three and ten gained weight faster than their mothers ate a lot of inflammatory foods during pregnancy. Food is arranged on a scale developed by the University of South Carolina, with saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol being the most inflammatory. These compounds are found in foods such as red meat, processed foods and dairy products. In contrast, compounds such as fiber, phytochemicals and unsaturated fats were anti-inflammatory – they are common in foods such as vegetables, fruits, fish and whole grains.
These results suggest that a mother’s diet is important for understanding the health of growing children.
“Research has shown that the foods we eat during pregnancy can affect the metabolism of the growing child, as well as their eating behaviors and food preferences,” said Dr. Carmen Monthé-Drèze, lead author of the study and a neonatologist at Brigham and Women’s. Hospital, said in a press release.
Mom’s diet can have a long lasting effect
It is not clear from this study why the eating habits of mothers influence children, although there are probably several factors involved.
It could be that a more nutritious diet during pregnancy has a physiological effect on the developing fetus, which helps to set in motion a healthy metabolism. In the future, understanding this may help doctors recommend an optimal diet for pregnancy, just as we now suggest that mothers should limit alcohol and caffeine.
What parents also eat during and after pregnancy is likely to be to present their children at home. This means that a healthier diet for parents will also be a good example for children.
Family wealth, education and genetics are also important in childhood obesity
The mothers in the study who followed an anti-inflammatory diet more closely were also more likely to be well-educated, with a higher income and less likely to smoke or be obese themselves.
It is clear that financial and social resources have an impact on the health of the diet, and that consistent access to healthy food makes a difference in the prevention of obesity.
Obesity also has a strong genetic component, so it is more likely that parents with obesity have children who tend to gain and maintain higher weight.
A Mediterranean diet can be healthier for parents and their children
Data in this study also showed that children through adolescence gain weight – and gain higher weight – when their parents eat a diet that was furthest from the Mediterranean diet. These results suggest that the result of Mediterranean eating habits may be beneficial. This includes eating lots of plant foods and healthy fats such as fish and olive oil. These dietary habits are consistently backed by research that has benefits for healthier weight, healthier aging and a lower risk of diseases, such as diabetes.
“In particular, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should consider a Mediterranean diet that can not only benefit their own health but also help their child maintain a healthy weight,” Monthé-Drèze said.
Previous research has also suggested that a healthy Mediterranean diet can have a ‘radiation effect’, with the benefits extending to the whole household.
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