Childhood obesity is becoming a large problem worldwide and statistics are growing more troublesome each year. Scientists are trying to find out more about the reasons and their conclusions are diverse and often ambiguous. Some connect childhood obesity to the prevalence of fast food in our lives, others believe that sedentary lifestyles are able to affect people at an early age.
Science Daily published a new study that establishes a rather unusual connection. According to it, obesity later on in life might have something to do with excessively low weight during the first years of a baby’s life.
Though this sounds weird, the connection between the two phenomena is perfectly logical and understandable.
Underweight babies try to ‘compensate’ for their insufficient weight by eating too much. Once formed, this habit has the potential to continue affecting their lives later on in life. According to a study published in Brain Research, underweight babies have fewer neurons in the brain section that controls eating and food habits.
In such instances, it can be said that babies are ‘pre-programmed’ to accumulate excessive weight. The study was conducted by experts from the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute.
The study was performed using animal models. Scientists examined the neural stem cells of newborns having low weight.
Such findings once again confirm how important it is for pregnant women to eat well and to have a balanced diet. Supplements and vitamins should not be underestimated either. Babies that are born underweight suffer from complications and have the potential to grow into obese adults, suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
Obesity is a problem that should never be underestimated. Apart from the fact that it is affecting large numbers of people, obesity is connected to a number of other medical conditions, some of which serious and life-threatening.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) worldwide statistics, approximately 1.5 billion individuals aged above 20 are overweight. Of these people, nearly 500 million are obese.
When it comes to children, the situation is quite troublesome. Nearly 43 million children under the age of 5 are overweight. These global WHO statistics are from 2010.
It is important to know that obesity is far from merely cosmetic problem. This is a serious medical condition that is related to various other health risks. These additional conditions include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, arthritis, some forms of cancer, as well as reproductive problems and sleep apnea.
All these troublesome facts and figures make it even more important for pregnant women to follow a balanced lifestyle, including good food, exercise and the creation of some healthy habits. A mom-to-be that is depriving herself from food is increasing the risk of giving birth to a child experiencing various types of problems.
If you are expecting a child, you need to eat well. This means staying away from extremities – neither starving nor gorging on fast food and cookies. Eat well and have a diverse diet. This is the key to your own happiness and to the birth of a perfectly healthy baby.
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