Risk of obesity for children if mom eats junk food

(ANSA) - ROME - The diet of mothers in the first years of their children can influence the risk of overweight and obesity in children.

In particular, the habitual consumption of ultra-processed foods by the mother can increase the chances of the baby developing excessive weight by up to 26%.

This is what emerges from a study conducted by researchers from the Harvard Medical School in Boston and published in the British Medical Journal.

That parental nutrition is an indicator of children's risk of obesity is nothing new, as children are also exposed to the same eating pattern in the family.

The study, conducted on 19,958 children and young people and 14,553 mothers, however, made a surprising discovery: the research showed that, over time, a child or a boy whose mother consumed ultraprocessed food has a higher risk of gaining weight than a peer whose mother had a healthier diet.

This also happens with the same diet and other lifestyles that can influence the risk of obesity, such as the habit of physical activity.

Specifically, children whose mothers consume higher industrial food consumption have a 26% higher risk of overweight and obesity.

The reasons for this link are currently unclear.

It is likely that these are not just behavioral reasons: the researchers hypothesize "for example, a long-term imprinting in utero" or an "epigenetic modification of the susceptibility of offspring to obesity".

The study confirms the importance of reducing the consumption of ultra-processed foods.

Although "we must not overlook the social determinants that could prevent women from reducing their ultra-processed food intake," the researchers point out.

For example, "the lack of adequate time to prepare unprocessed food or the additional costs of a healthier diet", they conclude, recommending not to "use this data to further stigmatize food choices" of women.

(HANDLE).