A BRITISH study investigating potential associations between overweight and obese parents and the risk of inter-generational transmission to their children concluded that the impact of parents' overweight differs depending on the age and gender of the children, and also varies with regard to maternal or paternal influences.
Children whose parents are overweight have a higher chance of being overweight themselves, concludes a study from City, University of London, to be published in the Journal for Economics and Human Biology.
The new research analyzed data from a statistical study on the health of 14,401 families living in England, who were monitored between 1995 and 2009.
The ages of participating children ranged from zero to 16 years; they were categorised as pre-school (birth up to five years), primary school (ages six to 11) and teenagers (ages 12-16).
Basing their investigation on body mass index (BMI), as well as on aspects of the parents' daily lives (tobacco and alcohol consumption, socio-economic situation, mental health, etc.), the study authors concluded that parental influences may play an important role in children's weight, and that children's risk of obesity is closely linked to their age and gender.
For instance, among boys aged five years or under, the probability of being overweight is 19.8 percentage points higher when both parents are overweight and 26.7 points higher when both parents are obese.
Male and female school age children with an overweight or obese mother had a higher chance of being overweight when compared to the influence of the weight of their father.
For example, for school-age female children, having an overweight or obese mother increases their likelihood of being overweight or obese, and female teenagers with obese mothers were also more likely to be overweight or obese.
The results also indicated that the age gap between parents and children (especially relating to mothers' ages) may influence children's weight: the wider the gap, the more children are at risk of being overweight, and this especially applies to girls.
As to possible explanations for parental influence on children's risk factors, the authors highlighted the impact of diet, especially fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical activity.
They added that children align their behaviors with those of their parents, notably in terms of exercise and what they eat, and that these behaviors are largely gender-specific.
Socio-economic factors also play a big role. "We find that lower income parents are more at risk of being overweight, and so are their children.
Hence, interventions should focus more on lower income families to be more effective," noted study author Professor Mireia Jofre-Bonet, from City's Department of Economics.
According to estimates from the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO), the United Kingdom has the highest prevalence of obese and overweight children in the age group of 5-17 years in Europe.
AFP RELAXNEWS
Sat Aug 15 2020
Among boys aged five years or under, the likelihood of being overweight was 19.8 percentage points higher when both parents were overweight and 26.7 points higher when both parents were obese. AFPRelaxpic
Ragbi: Malaysia muncul juara Kejohanan SEA 7s 2024
Pasukan ragbi lelaki tujuh sebelah (7s) negara mencipta sejarah muncul juara Kejohanan Tujuh Sebelah Asia Tenggara (SEA 7s) 2024.
MAPIM seru pertubuhan antarabangsa perkukuh perlindungan untuk wartawan
MAPIM menyeru pertubuhan antarabangsa dan kerajaan memperkuat perlindungan untuk wartawan memandangkan mereka turut menjalankan peranan penting dalam mengekalkan masyarakat demokrasi.
Cuaca panas: Orang ramai tidak perlu risau, KKM sentiasa pantau keadaan - Dr Dzulkefly
Orang ramai diminta tidak khuatir dengan cuaca panas yang melanda beberapa negeri ketika ini kerana situasi itu sentiasa dipantau rapat Kementerian Kesihatan (KKM).
Program Rakyat: Pengunjung digalak guna pengangkutan awam, elak kesesakan
Pengunjung yang ingin menghadiri Program MADANI Rakyat 2024 Zon Utara di Tapak Pesta Sungai Nibong, dekat sini digalakkan untuk menggunakan pengangkutan awam yang disediakan Kementerian Pengangkutan.
Azizulhasni raih motivasi hadapi minggu mencabar di Jepun
Azizulhasni menang dua pingat emas masing-masing dalam acara pecut dan keirin pada perlumbaan Siri Trek ASEAN di Velodrom Nasional.
JDT sediakan fasiliti latihan terbaik untuk skuad B-17 negara
Skuad muda negara bimbingan Javier Jorda Ribera dijadual menjalani kem latihan pusat di Pasir Gudang, Johor sehingga Selasa depan.
Tumpuan Sabtu - 04 Mei 2024
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan di Astro AWANI.
Pengamal media rayu campur tangan antarabangsa lindungi wartawan di zon konflik
Lebih 200 wartawan maut di Gaza, Palestin sejak Oktober 2023 tetapi tidak ada tindakan diambil terhadap pelakunya.
Media perlu manfaat kebebasan bersuara, rai kemajmukan Malaysia
Pengamal media di Malaysia perlu memanfaatkan kebebasan bersuara dengan sebaiknya tanpa perlu menggugat keharmonian dan menimbulkan sebarang kekacauan di negara ini.
10 Berita Pilihan - (03 Mei 2024)
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
[KOLUMNIS] 150 tahun Perjanjian Pangkor: Detik hitam tergadainya tanah air
Tanggal 20 Januari 1874 bukanlah suatu tarikh yang patut rakyat Malaysia rayakan tetapi sekurang-kurangnya diingati sebagai pedoman agar kedaulatan negara tidak tergadai lagi.
PRU15: Kami bukan 'produk pelancongan', kami sebahagian arkitek pembentukan Malaysia - Presiden Baba Nyonya
Sumbangan yang diberikan oleh kaum itu dalam pembentukan Malaysia juga adalah sesuatu yang turut dirakam sejarah negara ini.
Tiada persetujuan menimbang tara dalam pertikaian Malaysia dengan waris Sultan Sulu - Tommy Thomas
Ia termaktub sepertimana di bawah bidaan undang-undang oleh waris untuk mendapatkan pampasan bagi tanah Sabah.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Khamis, 24 Mac 2022.
Astro, anggota kumpulan reggae UB40, meninggal dunia
Astro bersama UB40 sehingga 2013 dan dikenali dengan lagu-lagu seperti Red Red Wine dan Can't Help Falling In Love.
Letak jawatan: Sajid Javid ganti Matt Hancock
Johnson berkata, Hancock sepatutnya meninggalkan pejabat dalam keadaan berbangga dengan pencapaiannya selama ini, bukan hanya dalam menangani wabak, malah sebelum COVID-19 menyerang.
Malaysia, UK lancar buku panduan mengenai bandar raya pintar
Malaysia dan UK bersama melancarkan buku panduan bertajuk "Smart City Handbook: Malaysia" bagi memupuk kolaborasi dan kerjasama dalam aspek pembangunan bandar raya pintar.
Jaguar menjadi jenama kereta elektrik sepenuhnya menjelang 2025
Syarikat berkenaan ingin memberi penekanan kepada kelestarian kereta elektrik terhadap dua jenama keluarannya itu.
COVID-19: Setiausaha Kesihatan Britain kuarantin diri, dikhuatiri ada kontak rapat
Beliau bertindak selepas mendapat notifikasi daripada aplikasi pengesanan kontak nasional bahawa beliau merupakan kontak rapat dengan kes positif COVID-19.
Penulis legenda novel perisik John le Carre meninggal dunia
Mendiang meninggal dunia selepas mengalami radang paru-paru.