Could a mother's diet increase child's risk of obesity?
BOSTON – Local researchers found that a mother's diet may have a significant impact on her child's risk of being overweight.
Almost 1 in 5 children and teens is obese. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard looked at about 20,000 mother and their children between the ages of 7 and 18 over four years and found that moms who ate the highest amounts of ultra-processed foods were 26% more likely to have an overweight or obese child.
Ultra-processed foods tend to be tasty, cheap, and high in calories, sugar, salt, and saturated fat. They include products like packaged sweets, desserts, and snacks.
This study stresses the importance of having parents model good eating habits around their children.
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