To Your Health
January, 2017 (Vol. 11, Issue 01) |
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Your Obesity Impacts Your Kids
By Editorial Staff
Obese parents, it's time for a dose of reality: beyond the health risks associated with the excess weight you're carrying, you're also doing a major disservice to your children, suggests new research.
According to the study, children of obese parents are more likely to experience developmental delays compared to children of normal-weight parents.
Parents completed a questionnaire when their children were 4, 8, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months of age that screened for delays in five developmental domains: fine and gross motor control, communication, personal-social functioning and problem-solving ability). Children with obese mothers (body-mass index of 30 or more) were more likely to fail the fine-motor skill test (coordination of small muscles in movements, such as synchronization of hands and fingers with the eyes) than children of normal- or underweight parents (BMI of 25 or less). Children with obese fathers were more likely to fail the evaluation of personal-social functioning (interaction with other children, playing with toys, etc.). And children whose parents were both obese (BMI of 35 or higher) also were more likely to fail the problem-solving domain than children of normal- / underweight parents.
If you have a weight problem, you now have a reason to do something about it beyond how it will benefit you. Your children and you deserve the slimmer, healthier person you can be. Talk to your doctor to learn how to take the first steps.
