Moms Underestimate Influence on Kids' Obesity
Filed under: In The News, Pregnancy Health, Health
Moms have a big effect on obesity in children. Credit: Getty Images
Most moms in the United States underestimate their ability to help prevent obesity in their children, according to a recent survey by HealthyWomen, a leading women's health website.
Studies have shown that moms have a greater effect on their child's weight than dads. Yet, although 87 percent of women believe a parent's obesity influences a child's risk of becoming obese, only 28 percent of those surveyed "assign the responsibility to themselves," the HealthyWomen WomenTALK survey finds.
Further, recent research shows that roughly one in five women are obese when they become pregnant. But just 11 percent of women surveyed say they realize a child's risk of becoming obese more than doubles if the mother is obese during her first trimester of pregnancy.
Forty-six percent of respondents were unsure of the effect of maternal obesity. Studies have confirmed higher risks to newborns and long-term health complications to children are higher for obese women with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or more, according to the survey.
Mothers are commonly viewed as role models for eating behavior and serve as "gatekeepers" of food, HealthyWomen executive director Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, RN, says in a news release.
"From an early age, children tend to eat the same foods as their parents, especially mothers, so exposure to nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables is not only setting a good example, but also positioning your child on a lifelong course of good health," she says
The WomenTALK survey queried 1,037 women in an effort to understand obesity and its impact on women and their families, in addition to the influences and relationships that affect obesity in women.
In other findings, while most women understand that obesity yields a greater risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, less than one-third of those surveyed recognize the increased risk of developing color cancer, gallstones and breast cancer.
"Women need to be their own advocates in the fight against all of these diseases and understanding the influence that friends and family have on the likelihood that they will become obese is part of what's slowing them down," Cahill says. "We need to help women understand that they have the opportunity to positively wield their influence by taking charge of their own nutrition and physical activity habits."
The study found that although most women surveyed are aware they have a greater likelihood of becoming obese if those around them are obese, most did not recognize the impact a friend may have on weight. However, studies have shown you have a much greater chance of becoming obese if you have a friend (57 percent), sibling (40 percent) or spouse (37 percent) who became obese, according to HealthyWomen.
"Empowering and educating women is the best way we know to break the cycle of obesity and promote healthy habits for the life of any woman and her loved ones," Cahill says.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 3)
10-12-2010 @ 6:50AM
Karen said...Most mothers have to work now and cannot keep track of what their children are eating. This usually means the children are eating poptarts for breakfast,and pizza or pizza rolls the rest of the time. All of the easy to fix food they are eating is high in fat and calories. Then add in parents' fear to have their children running around outside when they aren't home, video games and television = obesity. I was lucky to only have to work part-time while raising my children and out of eight, only four have weight problems as do I.
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10-13-2010 @ 5:31PM
Ken said...You can't buy junk food without money and the parents have control of that. If the kids eat junk, the parents paid for it. The kids don't have a car. If they do their dining at McDonalds, the parents drove them there. If the kid is a fat slob, the parents are at fault. No one else.
10-14-2010 @ 3:30AM
jmacdow said...Oh lets blame it on working moms again! I work full time. However my son eats nutritious food. I pack his lunch every day and we cook and eat dinner together every night. Right now he is only 6 but Im proud to say that he does eat 6 (or more) servings of organic fresh fruit and veggies per day and has NEVER tasted Mc Donalds (or any other fast food chain) or even soda. I also make sure he gets an hour of exercise daily (we bike together to his school and back). So this is not an issue of mom's working. Rather its an issue of conscious decision making as parents. We dont have a TV in the house, we dont keep processed junk food in the cupboards and we emphasize physical exercise. Its about having these values as a family.
10-15-2010 @ 4:48PM
sz said...I am sick of parents claiming they can't be good parents because they work. I work full-time and my kids are A students, who are in sports, and eat healthy foods. Obesity is the fault of the parent. And in my opinion the laziness of the parent. Being a good responsible parents means you take the time and do what needs to be done to raise healthy, well adjusted, productive children who will soon be healthy, well adjusted, productive adults. Planning out healthy meals and keeping healthy snacks around the house takes planning and effort. Educating your children about healthy eating habits also takes time and effort. That is the responsibility of the parents.
10-16-2010 @ 3:05PM
Patrick Knight said...Your saying that most moms have to work like it is going out of ones way and unnecessary. And yes i am blaming hard working mothers for their kids obesity. Fathers too, but seeing that single mothers percentage is at a pretty high level, we'll go back to the mother. Children can eat healthy but without portions and excersize they will look just like their oversized parents and live on to make us(AMERCICA) look even fatter. So just because you shelter your kid like the bubble boy and never feed him McDonalds does not mean he will not be fat like you.
10-12-2010 @ 7:47AM
Al said...Karen, while I can hear what you are saying about being busy there are plenty of ways to work around this such as buying the correct food in the first place. If a child is eating the poptarts and pizza who is buying that for the child? It isn't all that hard to decide what your child will eat, set it out and tell them to eat it even if you aren't there or if you are rushed. If the bad for you items aren't there they can't be consumed. You can make food on days off and eat it during the rest of the week. It can already be portioned out even, ready to be reheated. No excuse, sorry!
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10-13-2010 @ 9:17PM
CDT Baker said...Al-- unfortunately, the scenario you laid out isn't always feasible, otherwise more people would go by it. Not everyone has time off in which to make decent meals. Not everyone even knows what decent meals consist of. And have you seen the price of fresh fruit and veggies in comparison to a microwave meal? No contest when you're working a stretched budget. It's unfortunate but true--good food is expensive and bad food isn't, and most people couldn't tell the difference if you gave them a nutrition facts handout and a dietician.
10-14-2010 @ 3:37AM
jmacdow said...To answer CDT baker:
Perhaps people dont have the time to cook every night but one can cook for the entire week during 1/2 day on Sunday. I agree that some processed foods are cheaper than more nutritious foods (one only has to look at the price of brown rice vs. white rice ). However you can still eat well on a budget. Rice and beans are inexpensive. Veggies that are in season are also within most people's means.
People have to learn what our grandparents knew about meal planning, cooking and eating well on a budget. Unfortunately between TV and our lifestyle, we became dependent on 'convenience' and have totally forgot how to do these things.
10-12-2010 @ 8:10AM
lindee said...Fat parents have fat kids. They eat constantly. They watch TV or play video games. They don't exercise or eat healthy foods.
It is sad it took an epidemic of obesity to make schools aware of the situation, but at least many of them are trying.
My niece's elementary school built a 1/4 mile track on the playground and they walk it twice a day. Her school sells soda in vending machines and at lunch because they get a $250,000 kickback from COKE. That is wrong, but they need the money.
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10-12-2010 @ 8:34AM
Debi said...Oh! BIG surprise....its all Mom's fault! so is everything else in the world! Get in line Honey Berk behind everyone else that blames MOM for the ills of the world!
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10-12-2010 @ 2:31PM
Ted said...Debi,
It's just placing the onus back on the parents. I don't know why anyone would take offense to this article when all it's saying is we can set into motion a healthy lifestyle for a child if the parents are willing to embrace it.
10-12-2010 @ 9:55AM
Cindy M said...Yes, let's blame it all on mom. As if we don't have enough to feel guilty about! Nothing's mentioned about the fast food they serve for lunch in kids' schools. And by the way, I'm overweight but all of my four adult children are thin. They've never had weight problems. So much for your statistics.
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10-15-2010 @ 10:26PM
Mike said...Cindy dear,
That's why they are called STATISTICS. They are an attempt to speak a general trend on a large population of people based on a random sample. They always have error margins, and they are by definition samples, so they can't stick 100% to anyone. Why is it scientific thought has been completely replaced by uneducated opinion?
This article is based solely on the idea that mothers have more influence over their children, or are more likely to plan their childrens' meals. It doesn't take into account families where fathers are primary meal planners and domestic workers. It doesn't take account for a lot of things. There's no reason for anyone to scream red. It's like you see a problem where you want to see a problem, regardless of its existence.
10-12-2010 @ 10:23AM
momof2 said...sorry folks, my parents were thin, dad was underweight actually, I am overweight and have 2 sons 21 and 9, both quite slender, and have been all their lives. AS IS THEIR FATHER! I am sick of heredity being ruled out as a factor, I work my ass off and eat healthy, I am over weight but have perfect blood pressure, cholestrol, and no health issues. It is not a one size fits all world, so stop with the blame game
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10-12-2010 @ 11:05AM
SAMEHERE said...Same here mom.
10-12-2010 @ 10:20AM
Jake said...How about we start to teach how to eat healthy in first grade, and keep it up till kids graduate! Its all about teach people how, and what to eat. Then if you want to be fat, and a burden to society you can pay the price!
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10-16-2010 @ 11:13PM
jenny said...So Jake,
you say fat people are a burdon to society. Are people that are mentally challenged a burdon? What about senior citizens, are they a burdon as well? Its people like you that make this world a cruel world and its possible that people that think like you are the one's that are the burdon.
10-18-2010 @ 1:47AM
sharla said...Jake your an idiot....explain how us fatties are a burden to you..you dont pay my bills, you dont buy my food...hmmm, do you know the definition of the word burden, you must really hate yourself, are you the type of person that sits around talking about everyone else to make your miserable existence seem tolerable???? I do believe if there is any one group of people that could be considered a burden its the idiots like you!!!
10-12-2010 @ 11:14AM
Brenda said...To show a picture from the 50's of an at home mom doesn't cut it with me. Junk food and was only the beginning of its life and pop was a treat on a rare occasion as was candy. My mom was the food gatekeeper and we were never hungry or malnurished. She also chased us outside to play on any nice day.
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10-18-2010 @ 1:39AM
sharla said...who was your mom, betty f'n crocker...lol...okay everyone remembers how food was prepared back in the day with all that lard and butter, but things werent as processed as they are now, food these days has alot to contribute to weight issues, even if you buy healthy things, there is always some kind of preservative in it, oh and organic food is so costly, im a single mom of four kids and have one chuby child out of the bunch, i buy fruits and veggies, and dont feed them red meat very healthy meal plans, but for some reason he still gains weight and he is the most active kids i got, back flips and runs all day long, i think that we are all just suppose to be different, good rule to live by the more you eat (no matter what it is) the more you have to do!!!!!