overweight children

[Viola]

This article annoyed me, so I thought I'd post it here. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/...in628120.shtml I wasn't sure where to post it, actually but I finally decided on this forum since I'm going to talk about my daughter's weight.

I think what annoyed me most was this little blurb (The study) indicates women who are planning to become pregnant should try to reach an ideal weight before conception. It doesn't really make sense, IMO, based on the claims the article is making. The research did not seek to determine why the risk of obesity increased when the mother was overweight. Whitaker said likely factors include genetics, influences in the mother's uterus during the nine months of pregnancy, and eating habits and physical activity levels at home.

I've been worried about my daughter being overweight and yesterday I was noticing that she had gotten taller and thinned out some. I weighed her and measured her, and according to the CDC charts and her BMI, she is not overweight, but at risk of becoming overweight. Her BMI was something like 17.6 which was in the 91st percentile. Apparently an ideal weight for her would be 44 lbs, not 45 lbs. I'm trying to decide if there is any reason at all to even note this sort of thing or if these charts and recommendations just cause more harm than good in some instances. I already am trying to make sure she gets enough exercise and to work on healthy eating habits.

[Jennifer Z]

That study bothered me too. I was about double my ideal weight when I got pregnant so the implications are bad for my son. However, I really think it has a lot more to do with nurture than nature on this issue.

A mama has to really make an effort to change a lifetime of eating habits during a really stressful and sleep deprived time to make sure their child has healthy food as his or her norm. You also have to be educated as to what is healthy to be able to implement healthy eating habits. (like whole grains are good, snackwells are a lesser of two evils, but still bad). We also have to fight some of the "clean your plate" type messages that our parents might have given us because our parent's voice often pops out our mouths when we are stressed. We also have to learn about appropriate portion sizes for a toddler. What looks like a toddler size portion to us might actually be a "normal" adult size portion because our perception is off which is part of our weight struggle. I think all of these lifestyle changes make the struggle to ensure our kids don't face the same issues are just more than a lot of mamas are able to do and since so much of our eating knowledge is gained from watching our parents, a kid for whom unhealthy eating is the norm is more likely to struggle with weight as an adult.

I also have a big, but not chubby child. He also really plumps up right before a growth spurt. (and his little tummy looks a little bigger at night than in the morning, which is sort of weird to me)

I would love to see the original study in full and see the research methods instead of just the conclusion.

[teachma]

And if genetics is the factor, then what about the father's role? In my family, it's dh (and his side of the family) who struggles more to reach that supposed "ideal weight." And since I do have a son, and studies show that children more often emulate their same-sex parent, I also wonder about dh's dietary and exercise habits ( which cary tremendously from mine) as they might influence ds's. I don't think my son will be skinny just because I am. Heck, he weighed over 9 lbs at birth, which puts him in that category of being more susceptible to diabetes-- and at his conception, I weighed only 112 pounds, which is far from obese for a 5'6" woman. I didn't like (or trust) the article you linked, either!

[mackinsiesmom]

I wouldn't trust this article either. My mom was at her ideal weight at the time when she had both me and my sister. I ended up taking after my mom side of the family and my sister took after my dad's side (she is the heavier one between the two of us). I don't see the link in mother's weight during first trimester of pregancy and overweight children. I think more research needs to be done before I can accept that fact.

[Viola]

A woman on the group where I got this link wanted to know if the researchers included a reasonable representation of the population as a whole.

Of course, breastfeeding vs. formula feeding wasn't touched upon at all.

I read an article years ago that talked about studies that show birthweights in in utero conditions being linked to problems later on. Low birth weight babies in Britain being more likely to have strokes, pregnant moms who were malnourished in the first trimester were more likely to have babies who were overweight as adults. That was explained as if someone has as a hereditary trait the "thrift gene" it wouldn't necessarily be switched on unless conditions in the womb were right. I'd like to read more about these studies, especially since both my girls were over 9 lbs.

The thing it sounds like this article is trying to say is that there is some bio-chemical difference in the wombs of obese moms. If it were behavioral, then the mom wouldn't have to lose weight, just change her behavior. If it is genetic, then losing weight wouldn't change that. They article doesn't explain why losing weight before trying to conceive would change things.

I'm curious about hormones and pregnancy and weight, though. When I was pregnant this last time, I noticed I didn't eat as much as I normally had been and it would eat and feel fulfilled and satisified by my lunch and not even think about food until I realized it had been hours since I had eaten and was starving. I ended up skipping lunch so many times because I forgot about it. Then in the last month, boy, did I have a strong appetite and I ate to that appetite, but I never felt like I was overeating. I ended up losing a little weight at first, and gaining about 12 lbs in the whole pregnancy, and my baby weighed 11 lbs 6 oz.

Once Jessie was here and I had those lactational hormones, I had that constant urge to eat even when I could tell I wasn't really hungry--a need to graze. This sensation has been very strong both times I've breastfed.

[lilyka]

I guess everytihiung in the aryticle seemed like common sense to me and not something people needed to do a study about. Most people (I know I know not all ) are opbese because they eat poorly and exercise too little. Of course thier children are going to adopt the same lifestyle. Why is mother more important than the father? Becuse in most families (not oall of course) Mom ois the one feeding the child. And why should the mother try to reach an ideal weight before the baby is born? Well it would just make pregnancy easier (I know I was pregnant and obese and the extra weight was uncomfortable, I couldn't find jeans to fit and I was at higher risk for things like GD and high blood pressure.) Also reaching an ideal weight assumes that you are gpoing to do that and hold it with out a change in lifestyle. That change in lifestyle is easier to achieve when you are not a new mom. when you aren't tempted to finish the food on your childs plate. when you aren't exhausted ut of your mnid. And in the event that it is genetic or some how directly related to being in the womb of an oibese woman better to take care of that before pregnancy don't ya think. And I don't care if there is any proof. It is a simple descision. Why wait to get in shape. Why risk your child being predisposed to obesity. Ih ave struggled with this for a long time. If I can even maybe make my child genetically predisposed to fittness why the heck not try it (and in the meantime my habits and health improve - win win). Granted I didn't get this undercontrol before I had kids and it is somehting i still strugle with. too bad for me. Too bad for my kids. My oldest struggles with her weight. She is predisposed to be overweight. It is something we have to work on. She would rather sit and play on the computer o watch TV than get up and run. Maybe I made her this way because she is imulating me. I don't know, it is beside the poiont now. Now we have both changed. She is finally a normal size and feels great about her body. Not because she has lost weight (actually she was terrified when she began "Shinking!") but because hse is stronger, fitter and healthy and when she shows her muscles like little kids do, people say "wow! there really are some good muscles there " she has amazing muscle definition and tone and can do one mean push up. I am so proud of her at how strong and healthy she is. She wanted to change and did. I am so jelous of her. She has all day to play and run and work out (she does TKD and is traing for her blackbelt and the junior olympic team) and i am busy raising 3 children. I eat what I can, when I can and it isn't easy trying to change ingrained habits. fortunately her bad eating and activity habits were new. If I could devote myself to this, without kids, I am sure it would be a ton easier.

[Viola]

Originally Posted by lilyka

And why should the mother try to reach an ideal weight before the baby is born? Well it would just make pregnancy easier

That is the typical response and what I read in all the pregnancy books, but the article seemed to present it that if a woman lost weight first before becoming pregnant, her children would be less at risk of being obese.

The only thing that makes sense to me in this situation if it is not a biological cause, is that the behavior would be strongly changed. If you are able to lose a lot of weight, say 100 lbs or so, before trying to conceive, and then are able to keep it off while pregnant and in the post partum period, then you must have a very strict way of eating that will be passed onto your children. My sister lost about 150 lbs, and her 4 year old daughter took it strongly to heart and started talking about how she was fat and needed to diet. She is now 11 and still the thinnest of all her siblings and of all of them seems the most concerned about being fat.