Here's an interesting article on the results of studies on infants. The full article is available here.
- Being exposed to high levels of nutrition before birth can influence the development of networks within the brain that regulate appetite to permanently set a pattern of appetite for life, according to researchers from the University of South Australia.
"More women are entering pregnancy with a high body mass index and a range of studies worldwide have shown that heavier mothers generally have heavier babies who grow up to be heavier adults with resultant health risks. There is currently a real concern that the programming of obesity from before birth will result in an inter-generational cycle of obesity," Professor McMillen said.
Please don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for an EXCUSE. I'm looking for EXPLANATIONS and there's a huge difference. Trying to understand why your body uses food the way it does helps us to understand how to treat it and how to categorize our huge feelings of failure (excuse the pun). Many people feel great relief to understand that obesity is inherited. It makes the unending struggle make a little more sense. Especially when many of us who are obese are NOT sitting on a couch in front of the TV eating ding dongs from sun-up til sun-down. I'm out and about, walking, working, climbing in and out of houses, moving stuff and getting out in the world daily. And I can admit I don't eat a regimented and perfected diet (but honestly -- who really does?).
At any rate, it's interesting to see what science is concluding about this new "epidemic" that is becoming a major problem in all developing countries. Even the French are getting fatter (red wine or not). Research and investigation are needed to build a foundation for treatment of this growing problem (ah! more puns), and consideration of the outcomes - diabetes, heart disease and ultimately death, should be weighed carefully against the costs it will take to find a solution.
With the incredible percentage of "Americans" suffering from obesity and obesity related complications, it's amazing that this problem is not addressed in a much more significant way by the medical community. I think it is starting to be, but we're not there yet. WAY more people suffer from obesity than AIDS or even cancer, but the funding and discoveries are not there because people still believe it's just a choice that causes it.
3 comments:
I know you are quoting from an article, but I think the statements made are too simplistic. What about those of us who had normal weight mother's who ate what was considered healthy at the time of pregnancy? Or we obese mother's who have children of normal weight? I have three children and every one is normal on the doctor's percentile lists--except one who tends to be too thin!! And my husband is not thin himself.
I beleive part of obesity is inherited, but many of the research done these days is biased and poorly researched, including this quoted article.
I don't think any ONE article has any concrete answers. I do think that looking at a lot of articles and medical findings shows maybe the tip of the iceberg in understanding this complicated problem. This particular article notes that further study is needed and that specifically the babies were obese (above their percentile). They're saying obese mothers who have obese babies will likely have created another generation of obese adults. I was not an obese baby, nor an obese pre-teen. However my bio-mother is morbidly obese and once I hit puberty the weight just came on hard and fast without any changes in eating or exercise levels. It think it's a tiny little piece of an enormous and complex puzzle. So that's how I take it... it's not the answer, it's not an excuse, it's interesting to add to the pile of information and see how it jives with everthing else. :o)
I read a similar article, that children that were born during a period of famine had a lower lifetime risk of obesiety. As a woman, this really motivates me to loose weight before I have children. No point in making my kids go through what Mom and I have, if there's something I can do to help. Even if I can't keep it off, those nine months are important.
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