newsy bits for the fam
Hitting the perfect weight gain in pregnancy may mean far more than getting back in shape post partum. According to a new study mothers who gained either too much or not enough weight are far more likely to have children that struggle with their weight.
"Gaining either too little or too much weight in pregnancy may permanently affect mechanisms that manage energy balance and metabolism in the offspring, such as appetite control and energy expenditure," said study researcher Sneha Sridhar, a public health researcher at Kaiser Permanente division of research in Oakland, Calif.
Children of underweight mothers were more than 60 percent more likely to be overweight or obese and children of overweight mothers were about 80 percent more likely to face the same weight struggles.
A recently released study from the journal Pediatrics explored the connection between "fussy" toddlers and their more mellow counterparts, proving that problem kids watch more TV.
"Infants and toddlers with "self-regulation difficulties"-that is, "problems with self-soothing, sleep, emotional regulation, and attention"-view more media at two years of age than kids who have these issues less frequently. The difference in media consumption? Nine minutes.
"While this may not seem significant, researchers say this could translate to bigger problems with media consumption later on."
Bring the kids in the kitchen every Monday. Giving children the chance to cook and eat a meal with their parents can be a powerful thing - linked to smart food choices later, good grades, healthy weight and making them less likely to try drugs.
"It's something as simple-and easy to pull off-as making dinner with your children in the kitchen and sitting down to a meal," according to experts behind the movement.
Under the same umbrella that promotes the idea of "Meatless Mondays" the kids in the kitchen includess an entire website devoted to the movement along with recipe suggestions. Head here to check out the ideas for The Kids Cook Mondays.