Obesity is now becoming rampant, especially among the current crop of children. 1 out of every 5 children in the age of 6-19 years in the United States is found to be obese. With a sedentary lifestyle and less interest in playing outdoor games, there are a lot of things that we introduce in their lives- that puts them at a risk for obesity in later life.
But if you are a parent reading this- here is good news. A new study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has potentially identified the top 5 things every mom can do that puts her child at a lesser risk for obesity in later life.
This study published in the British Medical Journal yesterday highlights how the lifestyle choices of the mother significantly influence the health of the offspring. Here are the findings from the study:
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- It was concluded that when moms follow these 5 healthy habits — eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, keeping a healthy body weight, drinking alcohol in moderation, and not smoking –the kids are 75% less likely to become obese when compared with children of mothers who did not follow any such habits.
- And the better news- when both the mom and the child adhere to a healthy lifestyle practice, the risk of developing obesity was 82% lower than when otherwise.
- The study was made on the basis of how the maternal physical activity and dietary intake influence offspring levels of exercise and food choices.
- More than 24,289 children enrolled in the Growing Up Today Study who were born to 16,945 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II were considered for this research.
This study further highlights the fact that the mom’s nutrition and lifestyle choices influence the good health of not just the self, but of the kids too. As moms, do we take the right care of our health? Or do we take it for granted? Find out the right nutrition moms need at every stage in life.
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