Mum's Healthy Lifestyle Reduces the Child's Risk of Obesity

(Reuters Health) – Children whose mothers adopt healthy lifestyle habits are less likely to be obese than children of mothers with poorer health, researchers report.

"Living a healthy lifestyle can not only help adults improve their health and reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases, but also have beneficial effects on the health of their offspring." Boston, told Reuters Health by email.

Mothers have a powerful influence on their children's life choices, but it is unclear whether healthy lifestyles among mothers influence the development of obesity in their children.

Dr. The Sun team used the information from Nurses' Health Study II and Growing Up Today Study to clarify the association between the lifestyle of the mother during her childhood and her teenage years and their risk of obesity between 9 and 18 years.

In particular, the researchers considered five low-risk lifestyle factors: healthy diet, normal body mass index, non-smoker, light to moderate alcohol consumption and moderate or vigorous physical activity during at least 150 minutes. the week.

Individually, each maternal lifestyle factor, with the exception of a healthy diet, was associated with a significantly lower risk of obesity in offspring, report authors in BMJ .

The risk of obesity in offspring decreased with each lifestyle factor in mothers, so that children of women who had three low-risk behaviors (healthy eating, physical activity, and light or moderate alcohol) were 23% less likely to be obese, compared to children whose mothers had no low risk factor.

Children of mothers who had the five low risk factors were 75% less likely to be obese than children of mothers who had no low risk lifestyle factors.

Mothers' healthy lifestyles did not necessarily translate into healthy lifestyles in children, but their offspring had a 82% lower risk of obesity than mothers and high-risk children .

"This study suggests that mothers, leading a healthy lifestyle and thus creating a healthy environment for their children, can help reduce the risk of childhood obesity," he said. Dr. Sun.

"Mothers and parents in general should consider early how to improve their lifestyle in order to stay healthy for themselves and for the next generation," he said.

SOURCE: bit.ly/2lZEwF6 BMJ, online on July 4, 2018.