The weight of the baby depends on the mother's milk in the future
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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To date, the problem of combating obesity has been gaining in scale.
A serious concern in Western society is caused by a modern diet high in fat. Excess fatty tissue is deposited not only under the skin, but also around the internal organs, making it difficult for them to work and disrupting functions. Hence all the resulting health problems.
People with overweight are most at risk of acquiring diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.
According to a new study of experts from the Johns Hopkins University, the inadequate nutrition of infants in the first months of life can lead to obesity in the future.
Scientists conducted a series of experiments on rats.
Specialists worked on the weight of newborn rats through the mother's breast milk. Pregnant rats were divided into two groups, one of which was kept on a very nutritious diet, and the second - on a diet with a moderate amount of fat.
Cubs of rats born from mothers who were on a "fat" diet, but after birth received a balanced diet, could subsequently avoid a set of excess weight and, consequently, related problems.
And the rats, whose mothers ate healthy food, did not exceed the permissible norm of fats, but after birth, fed with milk with a high concentration of fat, on the contrary - they became obese.
As the results of the experiments show, for babies of mammals, including humans, a healthy, balanced diet after birth is much more important than that which they receive in the womb of the mother.
"Our research confirms that infant nutrition in the first months of life has a big impact on its weight and health in the future," says Kelly Tamashiro, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University. "And this makes it possible to control this process in order to avoid problems with obesity in the future."
At the moment, researchers are trying to establish whether the physical activity of rats can correspond to the physical stresses of children of primary school age. Thus, scientists will be able to understand whether the consequences of malnutrition of the child can be prevented.
"The process of development and behavior characteristics of these animals are very similar to human, although it can not be asserted that the use of the methods used in the experiment in humans will give the same result. We want to make sure that if you stick to the right diet, then there will be less health problems, "says Dr. Tamashiro.