The more children a person has, the greater the risk he or she will become obese, according to a new study from Duke University Medical Center.
Researchers looking at a database of middle-aged people found women faced an average 7 percent increased risk of obesity per child and men an average 4 percent increased risk per child. Researchers attributed the weight gain to a busier lifestyle that may include a diet of more fast food and leave less time for exercise.
"Obesity is a family problem because children follow the lead of their parents. A healthy lifestyle for one is a healthy lifestyle for all." said Lori Bastian a professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center and co-author on the paper.
Women often cite having children as a cause of weight gain, and may attribute the gain to physiological changes associated with pregnancy. Several previous studies have indicated a possible relationship between obesity and the number of children a woman has. However, the Duke study is the first to examine the association between parenthood and obesity in both mothers and fathers.
"It's difficult to imagine a physiological mechanism through which men could gain weight during pregnancy or after childbirth," Bastian said.
Most respondents were aged between 51 and 60 in 1992.
The researchers acknowledged possible limitations in the study. The data collected were based on self-reported weight and height, although the researchers said other studies have shown such data to be accurate. Also, the data did not include a parent's body size prior to childbearing or the biological relationship of the children to the couple.
The researchers say their findings point to a significant public health issue that must be addressed.
"Having children can be a wonderful experience for couples, but parents need to be aware of their increased risk of obesity and receive appropriate counseling as their families grow," Bastian said.
Bastian says additional research is needed to examine the changes in attitudes toward diet, physical activity and exercise that occur among couples caring for small children.
The research appears in the January/February 2004 issue of the
Journal of Women's Health.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 30 percent of all Americans are obese. Obesity is linked to several major health concerns including diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. An estimated 300,000 adults die of obesity-related illnesses every year in the United States.
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