As we gather weapons and allies to do battle on behalf of our children (and possibly ourselves?), we also need to know as much as possible about the enemy. Childhood Obesity.

This is the beginning of our intelligence gathering. We will identifying 10 areas you may not be aware of that can either help or hinder your cause. Starting before birth!

1. We all know that cigarettes increase the risk of low birth weight, and alcohol can damage an unborn baby’s brain. So is it logical to assume that unhealthy foods also could have negative effects on a baby? A growing number of studies suggest that sugary and fatty foods, consumed even before birth, can have an affect on how babies develop after birth.     

Studies on mice, conducted by Pennington Biomedical Research Center, reported that overweight female mice had higher levels of glucose and free fatty acids floating around in the womb than normal-weight ones did. Researchers believe these molecules trigger the release of proteins that can upset the appetite-control and metabolic systems in the developing brain. (more…)