Mother's Weight May Impact Daughter's Obesity Risk
According to new research a mother's weight, and the amount she gains during pregnancy, may have an impact on her daughter's risk of obesity decades later.
This research has important implications for the future - if women can reach a healthy weight before they begin their family, it has the potential to impact two generations. This is exciting stuff!
With the growing obesity epidemic studies like these are particularly important.
Researchers, led by Alison Stuebe assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UNC Chapel Hill's School of Medicine, analyzed data from more than 24,000 mother-daughter pairs. They discovered that:
- The heavier a mother was before her pregnancy, the more likely her daughter was to be obese in later life.
- For example, a mother who weighed 150 pounds before pregnancy was twice as likely to have a daughter who was obese at age 18, in comparison to a mother who weighed 125 pounds before getting pregnant.
- Mothers who gained 15 to 19 pounds during pregnancy had the lowest risk of their daughters being obese in later life. In comparison, mothers who gained more than 40 pounds while pregnant were almost twice as likely to have daughters who were obese at age 18, and later in life.
- Too little weight gain was also linked with a daughter's obesity risk. Pregnancy weight gain of less than 10 pounds was associated with a 1.5-fold increase in the odds of being obese at 18, and a 1.3-fold increase in odds of being obese in later life.
So, what does this mean for women?
Well, it appears important that women aim for a healthy weight before they become pregnant (obviously this isn't always possible), and throughout pregnancy they should try to gain a moderate amount of weight.
We know that throughout pregnancy additional calories are required, however the old mantra of "eating for two" is very deceiving!
So, how much should pregnant women be eating?
Calorie requirements during pregnancy are dependent on physical activity and pre-pregnancy weight. Here are a few guidelines:
- In the UK, we recommend a 100-calorie increase per day for the first six months, and 200-calorie per day increase for the last three months
- This recommendation assumes that during pregnancy activity levels fall and you become a little more sedentary. However this is not always the case.
- In the US, an extra 300-calories per day are encouraged in the final six months.
- Please remember, these are merely guidelines; I believe women should learn to listen their own bodies first and foremost.
I'm sure you'll agree the recommended increase in calorie intake is pretty low in comparison to what many women eat during pregnancy.
Interestingly, another study by Alison Stuebe, found that women who eat an extra 500 calories per day during pregnancy increase their risk of gaining too much weight by 10 percent.
Gaining too much weight is linked with complications at birth, such as pre-eclampsia, and the need for a C-section.
Via: Newswise
8 Comments
Add Your Comment
ADVERTISING
New
- FROM DIET BLOG
- On-Off Fasting: Does It Work?
- 400 Calorie Fix
- 5 Factor World Diet
- Quick Giveaway: Powerhouse Weight Loss Game
- FORUM
- Low Carb Atkins Diet- Tips to Cut the Carbs.
- How Can I Gain a Healthy Weight and Keep it?
- How Do I Eat Healthy at University?
- Starving Myself and Exercising, But Not Losing an Ounce?
Categories
| Body Image Celebrities Diet Pills Diets Exercise |
Fast Food Funny Stuff Success Stories Teens and Kids Tips and Tools |
RSS Feed
Follow @DietBlog on Twitter
I gained 44 lb in my pregnancy. I was eating healthfully and running until the day I delivered. (Ran 5 miles the day before I delivered, which was 2 weeks after my due date) And I lost it right afterwards (27 of the lb was gone 3 days later when I left the hospital).
I think focusing on weight gained during pregnancy not what you're eating and how much you're exercising can be deceiving. I know people who gained the recommended weight on McDonald's and people who gained too much on a lot of exercise and whole foods. You can somewhat tell the difference now because the former haven't lost it coming on a year later.
ReplyI agree with Heather. This has much more to do with lifestyle than weight gained.
Think about it: if a woman who is lean to begin with gains 40lbs during pregnancy, then afterwards focuses on healthy weight loss, healthy eating and exercise, she's less likely to have an obese daughter than one who only gains 25 lbs during pregnancy but doesn't pursue a healthy lifestyle.
Not to mention, the 15-19lb weight gain mentioned isn't practical, or even healthy for most women who are leaner to begin with. Only an overweight or obese woman would be given a goal in that range.
And of course, a woman who gains less than 10 pounds is more likely to have an obese daughter, because odds are, with that little weight gained, she herself was obese pre-pregnancy.
I'm always skeptical of studies like this.
ReplyFrom observation of my family, I think that pregnancy weight gain may be genetic (mildly, at least; personal behavior is no doubt larger), rather how it is genetic where weight is gained. My cousin recently had a baby, and while she was not skinny before her pregnancy, she was certainly right around an ideal weight, a curvy woman. Like her mother, though, she gained a lot of weight. Far more than you would have imagined.
I would think that most of this is behavioral; a woman who is overweight before pregnancy will pass on habits to a child. If a woman gained a significant amount of weight in pregnancy, the question is why? Did she indulge in the "eating for two" mindset or did she genetically put on excessive weight? And did she any excessive eating habits if the former? Most of these findings could be explained behaviorally.
ReplyJust an opinion but I wonder if the overweight mother to be eats bad anyway & continues with bad eating habits after pregnancy & on along with the father. A child eats what is in the house & sees what parents do & eat so if the food is not great in the house as the child grows than most likely the child is going to be overweight due to the lifestyle of the parents.
ReplyI'm pretty sure this is more of a correlation than a causation. Women who are obese/overweight and then get pregnant and take it as a free pass to eat for two probably don't have the best dietary habits to begin with, so it's going to be tougher for any kid of theirs to grow up healthy. I lucked out; my dad was very health-conscious, so we grew up having at least some knowledge about health. But my mom was definitely one of those "eat for two" moms...she gained a good 50 lbs each pregnancy and never really lost much of it in between, so she ended up about 90 lbs overweight. It's probably not a genetic thing at all.
ReplyThis is definitely what I thought when I read this. What would be more interesting is if the study was on women who were all a normal weight maybe two years after their pregnancy. Chances are, women who go back to a healthy weight reasonably soon after giving birth will have similarly healthy children, regardless of how much weight they gained during pregnancy. A woman who stays overweight for the rest of her life is more likely to have an overweight child.
ReplyNow, there might be a slight genetic thing... Epigenetics does suggest that.... We know a mom who consumes a lot of processed sugars (which a pregnant woman shouldn't be doing anyways! You're growing a person; use good materials!) can effect the receptors growing in her embryo's brain, leading to a greater likelihood of obesity.
Though, I do think it's much more environmental on the large scale
ReplyI'm skeptical of a study that uses weight instead of BMI or some other body size index. I am 5'10" and big boned and can not get below 150 unless I want to focus solely on diet and exercise 24/7. To say that because I'm over 150, my child is going to be obese by the time she's 18 is ridiculous.
I agree with all the other posters. This is an issue of nature vs. nurture. Stop putting so much pressure on pregnant women to be perfect. It's bad enough that we see all these pregnant starlets who don't gain an ounce, we don't need stupid generalizations about how much you should weigh before even getting pregnant.
Reply