according to studies my children should be obese

[michelyn8]

Over the weekend I read an article that told of a study that found that bottle fed babies who started on solids as early as 4 months grew up to become obese.  This morning on the news, they reported that children born by C-section were more likely to become obese due to some enzyme they missed out on by not being able to travel the birth canal.

I have three children: one born via c-section, two via "normal" childbirth, all bottle fed, all started on cereal at about 4 months.  Not a one is anywhere near obese although DD2 is a touch overweight.  Of my 7 nieces and nephews, three were born via c-section.  Of the 7, 4 were bottle fed and I'm fairly certain all started solids at 4-5 months.  None of them are anywhere near obese. 

When is the medical community going to stop wasting money on all these studies that tell us nothing and concentrate on the fact the most of the folks out there who are obese that do not have a genetic tendency towards it are that way because of their diet, activity level, etc. 

I strongly believe that its all the chemicals in our foods, our lack of recess in schools, organized activities that are scheduled in a way that cause more stress on parents and children (no time for meal so grab McD's or eat 30 minutes before going to bed after stressing over homework) that are creating most of the issues, not how our children were brought into this world or fed once they got here.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Meh, it'll change tomorrow.  Depending on the research of the day I'm either an awesome mom or somebody should be calling CPS on me.

[giramomma]

I'm glad I'm done having kids. The changes between #2 and #3 are enough to make me roll my eyeballs. I'm not talking safety stuff.

Now whole milk is a no-no. It's either 1 or two percent when your kid gets off formula.

At 1 yo, now the kids are getting their blood drawn, in part to test for lead paint. I forgot what the other thing is.

There is now a 15 month check up. It used to be 12 months and then 18 months.

We now get books at the drs. office. It used to be stickers. Hell, when I was little, I got a sucker from the Drs office.

We've taken a fair amount of questioning from our peds, as our older two have consistently been in the 95%+ percentile for weight and height. We will have to watch out for weight with my last two kids, only because I have PCOS and I can give it to my girls. My oldest actually dropped a few lbs. I'm hoping that will shut the drs up for a while.

Frankly, I'm tired of it. I get that obesity is a problem. I wish they would stop grasping at straws to find a reason for it.

[bean29]

Yeah, both my kids are bottle fed.  DS I don't know how much he weighs but he wears a 29 waist pants - they are nearly impossible to find.

DD is 16 and weighs 117 lbs.  she is a size 0-3 depending - varries with store/style.

I too think it has something to do with processed foods - we had a lot more sweets in our diet when I was a kid.

I am afraid DD will gain weight later in life, she is practically allergic to excercise.  I just hope, that like me, when she gets into her 20's she will realize that she has to excercise to maintain a healthy weight.  My DS works out and is very into disc golf and ultimate frisbee so he gets plenty of excercise.

[michelyn8]

I think DGD had to have one or two of her immunizations at her 15 month checkup.  They get so many now compared to when mine were toddlers.  Some I'm glad about, others I'm not so sure but we get them all for DGD and watch her closely for adverse reactions.  So far so good.

And DGD's ped still gives out suckers on occasion.  He gave her one to bribe her after a particularly unhappy reaction to him coming in the room during a sick visit.  It helped distract her while he checked her ears. 

DGD's diet is hit or miss as she has become just as picky and me and my children are.  One week she likes something, the next she doesn't.  My absolute hard and fast rule with DD2 about her is no canned pasta, no sodas and no tea.  Other than that, as long as she eats and its mostly healthy, we don't complain.  She is so slender but also extremely active.  We aren't sure if its her metabolism or not but until the Dr. tells us she's to small, we try not to worry since I've also been smallish and her paternal aunt is short/slender too. 

[swamp]

I have one fat kid and one skinny kid. Both offered the same diet and activities. The fat oneis more active, in that she doesn't sit still. 

[Tiny]

These kinds of "news" proclaimations are kinda meaningless.


So, feeling a bit devilish today... by who's standards are you judging the size of your kids? Personal observation (ie they don't seem 'obese' to you) or by the pediatric tables for determining ok/overweight/obese?

Adults usually start getting into the obese range when they are more than 40 pounds "overweight" - most people seem to think that people 40 pounds overweight look pretty skinny and slim next to the even bigger people around them...

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

May 28, 2013 10:01:20 GMT -5 swamp said:

I have one fat kid and one skinny kid. Both offered the same diet and activities. The fat oneis more active, in that she doesn't sit still. 

My sister has 4 kids, 3 are skinny and one is overweight.  The one that is overweight plays just about every sport that her school offers and is never still..  Her older sister is a slug.  Younger sister eats sweets like crazy and is a slug.

All kids eat the exact same things, but I think her middle daughter got my sister's (and my) metabolism and the rest of her kids got her husband's.

Another study where they assume the correlation equals causation.

[mrsdutt]

What people forget is this country is made up of multiple nationalities.  We were all made to be adaptive to our original area. Genetics play a big part in what we physically look like.

I am 5'2, dark hair and slim.  My DH was Polish so I have a daughter who is 5'10" with wide shoulders and blond hair.  She also has boobs!!!  Genetics played a huge part in who she is.  You could look at her and say she's overweight, but if you looked closer it's her chest that makes her look that way.  Otherwise there's very little fat on her.

I share this because I can see many of you younger ladies going into a tizzy about your weight or your kids.  I hate to see that happen.  We are what we are and can never be anything else.  These are the things I say to my daughters.  I hope to some day convince all young women to accept themselves the way they are.  When you're having a difficult time, check out a picture of Marilyn Monroe.  That's what our country used to think was beautiful.  Then along came Twiggy and we went to hay in a  hand basket.

[Sam_2.0]

DD was breastfed & didn't start solids until after 6 months, closer to 9. She's a skinny little thing at 22lbs and you would think we starve her. But she eats really well and frequently. She just never sits still. Even in her sleep she's rolling all over the place all night long. She's consistently in the 3-5% when we go to the pedi. But DH and I are on the smaller side and she's almost exactly where I was at her age. Looks like you get heck on either end of the spectrum.

[Deleted]

DS will be 2 at the end of July.  Lucky for us (?) he will only drink milk or water (we are currently cutting Gatorade into his milk since he hasn't been feeling well and is eating less) and doesn't really like sweets.  UNfortunately, he won't eat a single vegetable and will only eat meat (including egg) once in a blue moon.  And he LOVES his carbs.  If he was allowed, he'd survive on milk, cheese, Puffins, crackers, pasta, applesauce, tortilla chips, and red grapes.

[thyme4change]

You missed the latest research...

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=186808719

Obese mothers tend to have kids who become obese. Now provocative research suggests weight-loss surgery may help break that unhealthy cycle in an unexpected way — by affecting how their children's genes behave.

In a first-of-a-kind study, Canadian researchers tested children born to obese women, plus their brothers and sisters who were conceived after the mother had obesity surgery. Youngsters born after mom lost lots of weight were slimmer than their siblings. They also had fewer risk factors for diabetes or heart disease later in life.

[Deleted]

yes, it can be genetic, but let's be honest - a lot of it is "stop stuffing garbage down your throat."

[Formerly SK]

May 28, 2013 10:02:27 GMT -5 Tiny said:

These kinds of "news" proclaimations are kinda meaningless.


So, feeling a bit devilish today... by who's standards are you judging the size of your kids? Personal observation (ie they don't seem 'obese' to you) or by the pediatric tables for determining ok/overweight/obese?

Adults usually start getting into the obese range when they are more than 40 pounds "overweight" - most people seem to think that people 40 pounds overweight look pretty skinny and slim next to the even bigger people around them...

I agree.  My kids are crazy skinny (DD's BMI is 11!) but since they are what I'm most familiar with, they are my "normal."  DS could easily star in a movie about concentration camps - when you see his torso you wonder if there is any muscle/connective tissue at all...there definitely isn't any fat.  But, since I see them every day I'm used to it.  Now that it is sunny and I'm seeing kids run around in swimsuits, they all look crazy obese to me.  Even kids who are in the 30-60th percentile for weight look obese.  I have to remind myself that my perceptions are off. 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

If he was allowed, he'd survive on milk, cheese, Puffins, crackers, pasta, applesauce, tortilla chips, and red grapes.

Throw in Cap'n Crunch and you have my kid.

[movingforward]

May 28, 2013 10:43:23 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

DS will be 2 at the end of July.  Lucky for us (?) he will only drink milk or water (we are currently cutting Gatorade into his milk since he hasn't been feeling well and is eating less) and doesn't really like sweets.  UNfortunately, he won't eat a single vegetable and will only eat meat (including egg) once in a blue moon.  And he LOVES his carbs.  If he was allowed, he'd survive on milk, cheese, Puffins, crackers, pasta, applesauce, tortilla chips, and red grapes.

If I allowed myself I could survive off cheese, bread, pasta, chocolate and milk

[formerroomate99]

OP, you have to remember these are trends, not hard and fast rules 100% of the time.  A is correlated with B doesn't necessairly mean A causes B.  When they say 'A may cause B', what they really mean is A is correlated with B.  For example, for a while they were saying that drinking coffee may cause miscarriages, because the two were correlated.   But they later found that lack of morning sickness that allows women to contunue their coffee habbit often means that the pregnancy hormones aren't up to snuff and that is what is really correlated with higher miscarriage rates. 

You also have to remember that if you're reading it in anything other than a medical journal, the information is filtered through reporters, who generally don't have much of a science background, and who are more interested in a splashy headline than truth.  Very often, reporters claim researchers said X when they didn't say anything of the sort. 

[formerroomate99]

When is the medical community going to stop wasting money on all these studies that tell us nothing and concentrate on the fact the most of the folks out there who are obese that do not have a genetic tendency towards it are that way because of their diet, activity level, etc.

I don't think you're going to find many in the medical community who don't think that most of us need to eat less processed crap and move around more and that most of us have too much stress and too little sleep.  But that doesn't also mean that it is a bad thing for them to look at other factors too. 

[Deleted]

May 28, 2013 10:43:23 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

DS will be 2 at the end of July.  Lucky for us (?) he will only drink milk or water (we are currently cutting Gatorade into his milk since he hasn't been feeling well and is eating less) and doesn't really like sweets.  UNfortunately, he won't eat a single vegetable and will only eat meat (including egg) once in a blue moon.  And he LOVES his carbs.  If he was allowed, he'd survive on milk, cheese, Puffins, crackers, pasta, applesauce, tortilla chips, and red grapes.

My older daughter, too.


Milk and gatorade. 

[Tiny]

May 28, 2013 11:21:09 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

You missed the latest research...

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=186808719

Obese mothers tend to have kids who become obese. Now provocative research suggests weight-loss surgery may help break that unhealthy cycle in an unexpected way — by affecting how their children's genes behave.

In a first-of-a-kind study, Canadian researchers tested children born to obese women, plus their brothers and sisters who were conceived after the mother had obesity surgery. Youngsters born after mom lost lots of weight were slimmer than their siblings. They also had fewer risk factors for diabetes or heart disease later in life.

Doesn't this kinda beg the question?   Maybe it's NOT the surgery that caused a change but rather the fact that the amount/types of food eaten by the family has changed.   I'm guessing if Mom can't eat as much food (or certain foods) her kids probably aren't overeating as well.  As far as I can tell, no one wants to be the person at the dining table with the little plate and actual real portions of food while everyone else is chowing down on overflowing large plates and going back for seconds.
I suspect once mom starts packing back on the pounds (as often happens with people who have had weightloss surgery) the kids might start picking up pounds as well.

[tskeeter]

When is the medical community going to stop wasting money on all these studies that tell us nothing and concentrate on the fact the most of the folks out there who are obese that do not have a genetic tendency towards it are that way because of their diet, activity level, etc.

Ya mean that I can't justify my prosperous physique by claiming that my ancestors were Vikings from the cold, cold north, where body fat was a necessary fuel source and insulator?  Really?  I just over eat, eat too much red meat and not enough sprouts and lentils, and haven't rowed the longboat far enough or raided enough convents in search of gold relics and a comely lass or two for the last couple of decades?  Well, lock up your daughters!  I'm pullin down the oars and startin on an exercise program!

[Tiny]

When is the medical community going to stop wasting money on all these studies that tell us nothing and concentrate on the fact the most of the folks out there who are obese that do not have a genetic tendency towards it are that way because of their diet, activity level, etc.

What do you want to do? Start the End of the World? What do you think will happen when people STOP eating enough for 3 people each and every day? What will the meat producers do when they have millions more animals than are needed? What will happen to the farmers who have millions of tons of 'produce' that's no longer needed?

Think about all the people who will no longer have jobs... from packing plants and processing plants (and the shipping companies that service them) to grocery stores and restaurants.

Gosh, I can see Costco/walmart/Target with food selves filled to the brim with rotting food.  If everyone started eating an appropriate amount of food (all at once) each and every day I suspect we'd fall into an Epic Recession!

[thyme4change]

I think the point of the study was the mother's body weight during pregnancy had an effect on the child's body weight.  I listened to the story on the radio, so now I'm not sure if they misrepresented the study or not.<br><br>Well - I was skinny during pregnancy, and my kids are skinny and we eat pretty good now.  I'll try and keep it up another 10 years, and if the kids fall to hell after that, it isn't my problem.

[Deleted]

May 28, 2013 12:29:10 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

May 28, 2013 10:43:23 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

DS will be 2 at the end of July.  Lucky for us (?) he will only drink milk or water (we are currently cutting Gatorade into his milk since he hasn't been feeling well and is eating less) and doesn't really like sweets.  UNfortunately, he won't eat a single vegetable and will only eat meat (including egg) once in a blue moon.  And he LOVES his carbs.  If he was allowed, he'd survive on milk, cheese, Puffins, crackers, pasta, applesauce, tortilla chips, and red grapes.

My older daughter, too.


Milk and gatorade. 

we only put about 3-4 tbsp worth of Gatorade in his sippy cup at a time (or else he'd notice it).  It's not much but it's better than nothing. 

[sunshinegal1981]

May 28, 2013 12:16:52 GMT -5 formerroomate99 said:

OP, you have to remember these are trends, not hard and fast rules 100% of the time.  A is correlated with B doesn't necessairly mean A causes B.  When they say 'A may cause B', what they really mean is A is correlated with B.  For example, for a while they were saying that drinking coffee may cause miscarriages, because the two were correlated.   But they later found that lack of morning sickness that allows women to contunue their coffee habbit often means that the pregnancy hormones aren't up to snuff and that is what is really correlated with higher miscarriage rates. 

You also have to remember that if you're reading it in anything other than a medical journal, the information is filtered through reporters, who generally don't have much of a science background, and who are more interested in a splashy headline than truth.  Very often, reporters claim researchers said X when they didn't say anything of the sort. 

Logged in to my account today just so I could thank this post.  

[Deleted]

When is the medical community going to stop wasting money on all these studies

It's not the medical community that pays for these studies, it's the special interest groups. Companies that make a fortune off of sugar cereal funded the studies that say eggs are bad, the egg industry funded the studies that say they are good, the sunscreen industry funds studies that prove that we are going to die from any and all sun exposure, sunworshippers fund studies saying the sun is good for us...you get the idea.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Ensure is NASTY.  My OB wanted me to drink it because she thought I was "too skinny" and needed more calories.  I barely managed to get the first one down before I threw it back up.

I drank Pediasure shakes instead.  Pretty much the same thing but tasted a hell of a lot better.  I prefered the chocolate ones.

[mrsdutt]

May 28, 2013 12:35:26 GMT -5 Tiny said:

May 28, 2013 11:21:09 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

You missed the latest research...

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=186808719

Doesn't this kinda beg the question?   Maybe it's NOT the surgery that caused a change but rather the fact that the amount/types of food eaten by the family has changed.   I'm guessing if Mom can't eat as much food (or certain foods) her kids probably aren't overeating as well.  As far as I can tell, no one wants to be the person at the dining table with the little plate and actual real portions of food while everyone else is chowing down on overflowing large plates and going back for seconds.
I suspect once mom starts packing back on the pounds (as often happens with people who have had weightloss surgery) the kids might start picking up pounds as well.

I remember watching a mother who was very over weight feed her one year old. She fed him 3 jars of food and insisted he eat it all. At the same time I fed my one year old a total of one jar, knowing the signs of her being full. I figured then that the person feeding the baby had a personal perception of what was enough.

[sneetches]

I think that study is a good example of correllation doesn't equal causation.  I do think they will find out that this is what happening. 

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13119545

For the record, my son was born by C-section and I feed him Ensure Plus to try to keep his weight up.  He likes the strawberry.   

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Our school district does a BMI test in 10th grade.  We just got ODS's results.  Now, mind you, he is a competitive lacrosse player who plays year round, who runs 3 miles several times per week, who spends hours honing his shooting and passing skills every day, and who lifts weights several times per week.  He eats well -- lots of fruits and veggies and lean protein and skim milk and water and complex carbs, etc.

He is one lean, mean, toned, lacrosse machine.

I opened the results from the school's test -- according to their BMI test, ODS is on the border between overweight and obese.     Of course, in fine print, it states that the BMI test doesn't distinguish between genuine fat and muscle mass.  Oy vey.