Parents key to childhood obesity

Tuesday July 14th, 2009

Gender may be a key factor in families influencing whether children over-eat or not, British researchers have reported.

Researchers at the Peninsula Medical School, Devon, UK, claimed their findings could turn thinking on childhood obesity "on its head".

Daughters of women who are overweight follow suit - and pile on the pounds, researchers found. But sons are not affected.

Sons, meanwhile, follow the influence of their fathers, becoming obese if their fathers are. But fat men have little effect on their daughters, according to the study in the International Journal of Obesity.

The findings come from a project following some 200 children over eight years.

Researcher Professor Terry Wilkin said: "The clearly defined gender-assortative pattern which our research has uncovered is an exciting one because it points towards behavioural factors at work in childhood obesity.

"These findings could turn our thinking on childhood obesity dramatically on its head.

"Money and resources have focussed on children over the past decade in the belief that obese children become obese adults, and that prevention of obesity in children will solve the problem in adulthood.

"EarlyBird’s evidence supports the opposite hypothesis - that children are becoming obese due to the influence of their same-sex parents, and that we will need to focus on changing the behaviour of the adult if we want to combat obesity in the child."

Tags: Child Health | Nutrition & Healthy Eating | UK News

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