Want to have healthy children? A new study by researchers at the University of Adelaide in South Australia found that one of the best ways may be for fathers to be in good physical shape when they have them. The study of mice was led by Tod Fullston from the University of Adelaide’s Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department, and is described in a ScienceDirect article entitled “Obese Dads Pass On Predisposition to Obesity and Metabolic Disorders to Their Kids.”
While the study described in the article was conducted on mice, its authors discussed the possibility that human trials may demonstrate this same result as well. The article quotes Tod Fulston, the lead author of this study as saying that: “If these findings hold true in humans, then a father’s diet and body composition at the time of conception is likely to affect his future child’s health and risk of lifelong disease…Fathers should be aim to be as healthy as possible at the time of conception to give future generations the best possible chance of good health.” According to the article, the study also found that female mice were more likely to inherit negative traits from their fathers than men.
While this particular study was conducted on mice, other research conducted on humans has shown that the health of the parents can be passed onto their children. The results of a study from 2012 that was led by Philippe Froguel from Imperial College in London are described in an article in Time Magazine by Alexandra Sifferlin entitled “Predicting Obesity at Birth” that was published on November 29, 2012. According to the article, the researchers that conducted this study considered the body mass index (BMI) of the parents as one of the risk factors for obesity in their children. Philippe Froguel, the lead author of the study said “Many believe the critical time for the development of obesity is between ages zero and five.”
This research shows another consequence of obesity that may have been previously overlooked – the impact that poor eating habits by parents can have on their children. It outlines further the necessity to work towards solving the nation’s obesity problem over the long term.
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- Courtesy of PRWeb