Overweight Begins in the Womb

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130110075406.htm

Overweight Begins in the Womb: Lifestyle of Mother Shapes Disposition for Subsequent Weight

Jan. 10, 2013 — A disposition for overweight is shaped even before birth, according to a study by scientists of the Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The study, published in the online journal PLOS ONE, reveals that children with a birth weight of more than 4,000 grams are twice as much at risk of becoming overweight in later life than those with normal birth weight.

The results of the study show that the lifestyle of the mother-to-be has a substantial impact on the lifelong risk of overweight. Prof. Andreas Plagemann from the Charité Department of Obstetrics headed the study. He explains: "Even more than before, the course of pregnancy is proving to be the key factor for the health of the child for its whole life."

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