Some mothers put their children at risk of overeating and obesity by eating junk food during pregnancy and breastfeeding, according to a study by the Royal Veterinary College, London, funded by Wellcome Trust, found that rats fed a diet of processed junk food such as doughnuts, muffins, biscuits, crisps and sweets during pregnancy and lactation gave birth to offspring which overate and had a preference for junk foods rich in fat, sugar and salt when compared to the offspring of rats given regular feed.
"Our study has shown that eating large quantities of junk food when pregnant and breastfeeding could impair the normal control of appetite and promotes an exacerbated taste for junk food in offspring," lead author Dr Stephanie Bayol said.
Previous research has shown that junk foods rich in fat and sugar inhibit the satiety signals while promoting hunger and stimulating the reward centres. "The government is trying to encourage healthier eating habits in schools, but our research shows that healthy eating habits need to start during the foetal and suckling life of an individual," Professor Stickland said. Giving children better school dinners is very good, but more needs to be done to raise awareness in pregnant and breastfeeding women as well.
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