Obesity And The Mother’s Maturity
Obesity has been connected to things that mothers can control to some degree such as the food given to children at younger or more advanced ages, rates of breastfeeding, etc. But some researchers have now conducted studies on the potential connection between the child’s risk of obesity and the age at which the mother first menstruated. All in all, one study was conducted in the UK sampling 6000 children.
This particular study showed that those who had mothers who experienced puberty at an earlier age also had a higher risk of obesity. These children had a tendency to grow faster as babies and become heavy children. I would be curious however to see the children at older ages or samplings of older children in the same families. It is a commonly seen phenomenon for children to “grow out of” their obesity, to be bigger babies, even bigger toddlers or small children, but to lose what some call “baby fat” as they get older. This study has not been replicated at this time.
But they are also suggesting that this affects adults as well. In short, those women who menstruate early are more likely to be overweight as adults and they are more likely to be short in stature. This faster rate of overall development is passed genetically to her children. Researchers state that the “earlier age at menarche may indicate a transgenerational influence toward a fast tempo of childhood growth, which is transmitted from the mother to her offspring.” If you are wondering what early menstruation would be defined as, the line was drawn at mothers who had their first periods at the age of 11 as opposed to those who started menstruating at 15.
Some studies or rather researchers have also suggested that children who suffer from a higher risk of childhood obesity and come from early puberty mothers may experience a higher risk of psychological issues due to accelerated growth rates.
While there are studies, to date there are only a few studies, which should make readers and potential believers skeptical in general terms. There are a lot of causes of increased susceptibility to psychological issues, most of them genetically based or in connection to certain traumatic experiences. Likewise, there are quite a few causes of obesity, mostly in the realm of diet and exercise habits, which are often learned through the habits of the parents, not passed on through some genetic link in the brain that would be activated no matter where they were raised. In terms of short stature, some countries have experienced higher rates of a shorter stature due to smaller amounts of protein, milk products, etc. in the general diet. And some countries tend to have noticeably lower rates of obesity, not because of race, but because of nationally accepted eating standards among other things. So while I am not ready to say this is completely wrong, I do encourage readers and individuals in general to watch with a certain amount of skepticism.