Over 6,000 children born in New York state are being tracked regarding growth, motor and social skills.
Parents fill out questionnaires regarding their health status and their child’s development progress.
Researchers found children between the ages of 4 months and 3 years of age faced development difficulties if their parents were obese.
Children whose mothers was obese were more likely to have difficulty using small muscles like their fingers and hands.
If their father was obese, they had an increased risk of failing personal-social activities like feeding themselves, playing and getting undressed by themselves.
A child was more likely to fail problem-solving tests if their parents were extremely obese.
Obesity can be the result from a combination of causes and factors. There are genetic, behavioral and hormonal influences too.
Typically when you eat more calories than you burn off, your body stores those extra calories as fat. Leading an inactive lifestyle and eating unhealthy also plays a role.
Medical causes like Prader-Willi syndrome and Cushing’s syndrome can cause weight gain but these are rare.
Being obese comes with many health consequences. Losing weight and keeping it off is not an easy task. Those who are obese may need to work with health professionals to make lasting changes.
Here are my prescriptions:
- There is no perfect weight loss diet. The key is to cut calories – talk to your doctor to determine the amount you should consume.
- Make healthier food choices. Plant-based foods, whole-grain carbs and lean sources of protein are excellent choices.
- Keep away from processed foods or restrict them. They’re mostly empty calories loaded with fat, salt and sugar.
- Get physical activity in most days of the week. This is essential – just add in walking and then increase the pace and time as you get stronger.
Are there any theories as to why children born to obese parents are developmentally delayed?
Animal studies have shown obesity when pregnant can raise the level of inflammation and hormones. These regulate body fat and metabolism which may affect a baby’s developing brain.
There’s also a theory that obesity might affect genes in sperm. More information is needed before anything can be confirmed.
