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02/10/2013

'Eating For Two' Can Make Children Obese

Pregnant women who "eat for two" could be setting their unborn child up for a lifetime of obesity, according to new research.

The study, which was carried out by Boston Children's Hospital, found that 12-year-olds were more likely to be overweight or obese if their mothers had gained a lot of weight during their pregnancy.

Researchers added that their findings could not be explained away by women who put on weight during their pregnancy because they gave birth to a larger baby.

They concluded that conditions in the womb, which are affected by a mother's diet, may have long-lasting implications for their child's appetite control, or storage of fat.

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For the study, experts compared the weight of more than 90,000 12-year-olds with information about their mother's pregnancy. On average, the women gained around 2st 2lb in pregnancy, but some did gain almost 4st. The analysis suggested that a baby whose mother put on more than 2st 12lb was 8% more likely to be obese than one whose mother gained between 13lb and 1st 12lb.

Writing in the journal PloS Medicine, the researchers explained: "The eight per cent increase in risk... would account for several hundred thousand annual cases of paediatric overweight or obesity worldwide.

"Because childhood body weight predicts adult body weight, our study suggests that over-nutrition in pregnancy may programme the foetus for an increased lifetime risk for obesity, although the magnitude of this may be small.

"In conclusion, this study suggests that high pregnancy weight gain increases body weight in childhood and that measures to limit pregnancy weight gain may help prevent obesity in the subsequent generation."

(JP/IT)

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"Pregnant women who "eat for two" could be setting their unborn child up for a lifetime of obesity, according to new research."