Originally published August 7 2005
Eating healthy during pregnancy may stave off your child's chances of becoming obese
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Scientists warn new mothers to eat healthier during pregnancy because their eating habits are taught to their children in the womb.
MOTHERS who do not eat properly at crucial stages during pregnancy cause their children to become obese in later life, scientists have warned.
By being under or over-nourished, expectant mothers upset the levels of hormones in their body which are responsible for controlling hunger.
Normally the hormones adjust the body's appetite to avoid putting on too much fat.
But the scientists are now investigating imbalance in the hunger hormones of expectant mothers and their impact on the baby's ability to regulate their own appetite.
They warn that if the mother produces too much or too little of the hormones while the foetus's brain is developing, it can alter the baby's sensitivity to the hormones.
Dr Clare Adam, a senior researcher at the Rowett Institute, said children whose appetite regulation was faulty often became obese in later life.
"The foetus can't control its appetite as its nutrition comes through the placenta from the mother even though it has a full control pathway in place.
"There are probably critical pre-natal windows for the programming of post-natal appetite and a growing portion of the science seems to be pointing towards this explanation for a predisposition to obesity.
Our studies have shown us that the hormones normally feed back to the appetite control in the brain telling it how fat, thin and hungry the animal is.
Obesity is now one of the greatest challenges facing public health experts in Scotland, which has one of the highest obesity levels in Europe.
Health experts predict the figure will increase to 33 per cent of adults and 50 per cent of children by 2020.
Margaret McKay, chief executive of Children 1st, which runs the Parentline Scotland advice line, said: "Having a baby can be an extremely stressful time for parents, particularly new parents.
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