Overweight Mom equals Overweight child?

It’s not just bad eating habits in the home that may contribute to an overweight child – it may actually begin while they’re still in the womb.

A new Reuters reports reveals that while the home environment has a big impact on children’s weight, how one eats while pregnant also creates an “imprint” in the womb as well.

Researchers at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, through their current study on overweight mothers, say the environment the fetus is growing in is a factor for determining future weight issues.

Dr. Robert Kushner tells Reuters, “We've known for a long time that children of overweight mothers are more likely to be overweight themselves. The whole idea is as that child comes out of the birth canal, you've already imprinted that child's vulnerability to be overweight…it's like being born with handcuffs on. In this environment, how do they have a fighting chance?"

The Northwestern program is working with a group of pregnant women, helping them maintain healthy weights throughout their pregnancies through classes on nutrition and exercise.

Learn more about the study here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090316/us_nm/us_obesity_pregnancy;_ylt=AhHBeSnBQyCfgmQCInS7wCSISbYF

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