Diet in pregnancy ‘affects offspring’s obesity risk’

A woman’s diet during pregnancy can affect the risk of her child becoming obese and needing to lose weight as they grow up, a new study has revealed.

Researchers from the University of Southampton and from New Zealand and Singapore found that a mother’s diet can alter the function of her child’s DNA.

This can lead to the child having an increased tendency to develop more fat.

Leader of the study Keith Godfrey, professor of epidemiology and human development at the University of Southampton, said: “Susceptibility to obesity cannot simply be attributed to the combination of our genes and our lifestyle, but can be triggered by influences on a baby’s development in the womb, including what the mother ate.”

He went on to say that childhood obesity could be prevented by improving a mother’s nutrition.

Last week, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust launched a new initiative to help women lose weight and adopt healthier lifestyles.

Will this new research encourage you to eat healthily?