Can Parents' weight Hinder Toddlers' Development?

Cylphin60

https://consumer.healthday.com/kids-health-information-23/child-development-news-124/can-parents-weight-hinder-toddlers-development-718275.html

Study links -- but doesn't prove -- Moms', Dads' obesity tied to delayed social and problem-solving skills

TUESDAY, Jan. 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Children who have obese parents may show signs of developmental delays, such as poor social skills, by the time they're 3 years old, a new study suggests.

The specific developmental problems seem to differ depending on whether the mother, father or both parents are obese, according to researchers from the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

"Specifically, mothers' obesity was associated with a delay in achieving fine-motor skills, and fathers' obesity in achieving personal and social skills -- that includes skills for interacting with others," said lead researcher Edwina Yeung. She's an investigator in the institute's division of intramural population health research.

"When both parents were obese, it meant longer time to develop problem-solving skills," she added.

However, one pediatric neurologist not involved with the research isn't convinced that the study authors proved their case.

And Yeung acknowledged the same. "We used observational data, which doesn't allow us to prove cause and effect, per se," she explained.

Interesting, but not conclusive. I've known quite a few people over the decades who had one, or both obese parents and got along just fine, and the converse is also true.

Thoughts?

leanjogreen18

That's interesting.

Gallowmere1984

Ehh, I'd be interested to see it expanded upon. My mother has always been obese, but my father was in the normal weight range for my entire childhood. I was actually reading three years ahead of my level, and was skipped from first to third grade, put in foreign language classes in the 4th grade, etc.

It wasn't until I became a teenager, got angry, high, and quit giving a *kitten* that my development started to see problems, and that was mostly social development that was screwed.

tomteboda

These types of observational studies frequently aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Especially at the levels of "failing" they're describing, you'd think that humans would've figured out that fat parents have completely inept children millennia ago. I mean, they figured having kids with your siblings was bad thousands of years ago, and this would've been even MORE obvious.

kenyonhaff

It's very important that this study is correlation, NOT causation.

If I would hazard an explaination, it would likely be obese parents tend to be less active. It may correlate with sedentary activities such as watching TV and playing video games...not things great for toddler emotional development. Toddlers need a lot of active, hands-on activity and interaction, after all.

Scientifically, the important question would be, "WHAT aspect of having obese parents affects toddler development?" Is it parent-child interaction? Physical activity? Something nutritional? Something about media consumption?

The important take away I think should be that obesity can affect many people, and not just the individuals. Losing weight to be a better parent is a worthy goal.

leanjogreen18

kenyonhaff wrote: »

It's very important that this study is correlation, NOT causation.

If I would hazard an explaination, it would likely be obese parents tend to be less active. It may correlate with sedentary activities such as watching TV and playing video games...not things great for toddler emotional development. Toddlers need a lot of active, hands-on activity and interaction, after all.

Scientifically, the important question would be, "WHAT aspect of having obese parents affects toddler development?" Is it parent-child interaction? Physical activity? Something nutritional? Something about media consumption?

The important take away I think should be that obesity can affect many people, and not just the individuals. Losing weight to be a better parent is a worthy goal.

Haha I originally posted (not as eloquently) my thoughts on parent child interaction then edited. Baring special needs it seems social skills and problem solving skills would be directly related with interaction.

Gallowmere1984

kenyonhaff wrote: »

It's very important that this study is correlation, NOT causation.

If I would hazard an explaination, it would likely be obese parents tend to be less active. It may correlate with sedentary activities such as watching TV and playing video games...not things great for toddler emotional development. Toddlers need a lot of active, hands-on activity and interaction, after all.

Scientifically, the important question would be, "WHAT aspect of having obese parents affects toddler development?" Is it parent-child interaction? Physical activity? Something nutritional? Something about media consumption?

The important take away I think should be that obesity can affect many people, and not just the individuals. Losing weight to be a better parent is a worthy goal.

Whatchu mean you can't just drop a kid in front of Baby Einstein videos and produce the next Nikola Tesla?

ninerbuff

When I lived in VA, there were a lot more obese people I dealt with than in here in CA. I worked at an off campus gym facility that housed an Olympic pool, so there were lots of swim meets each weekend. And practically all the swim kids parents were either really overweight or obese.
So I think a lot of the observation is correlated. There may be some behaviors that are more apparent with kids with obese parents (such as embarrassment) due to standards of media, but I think social and problem solving skills are tied more to overall environment and not just because of parents weight.
I have to ask, how many of these children were home schooled?

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

crzycatlady1

ninerbuff wrote: »

When I lived in VA, there were a lot more obese people I dealt with than in here in CA. I worked at an off campus gym facility that housed an Olympic pool, so there were lots of swim meets each weekend. And practically all the swim kids parents were either really overweight or obese.
So I think a lot of the observation is correlated. There may be some behaviors that are more apparent with kids with obese parents (such as embarrassment) due to standards of media, but I think social and problem solving skills are tied more to overall environment and not just because of parents weight.
I have to ask, how many of these children were home schooled?

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

We had kids in hockey and this was the case as well-really fit/thin kids with really overweight/obese parents. We're now involved in speed skating and it's different-but 95% of the parents also are out there on the rink skating along with their kids (our club has ages 4 years old up to a few guys who are in their late 70s).

A side note-I was home schooled k-12 and was always thin but I had an obese mom. I didn't start gaining weight until after I was in my early 30s and had 3 kids.

crzycatlady1

ninerbuff wrote: »

When I lived in VA, there were a lot more obese people I dealt with than in here in CA. I worked at an off campus gym facility that housed an Olympic pool, so there were lots of swim meets each weekend. And practically all the swim kids parents were either really overweight or obese.
So I think a lot of the observation is correlated. There may be some behaviors that are more apparent with kids with obese parents (such as embarrassment) due to standards of media, but I think social and problem solving skills are tied more to overall environment and not just because of parents weight.
I have to ask, how many of these children were home schooled?

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

We had kids in hockey and this was the case as well-really fit/thin kids with really overweight/obese parents. We're now involved in speed skating and it's different-but 95% of the parents are also out there on the rink skating along with the kids (our club has ages 4 years old- up to a few guys who are in their late 70s).

A side note-I was home schooled, k-12, and was always thin but I had an obese mom. I didn't start gaining weight until after I was in my early 30s and had 3 kids.

Cylphin60

leanjogreen18 wrote: »

kenyonhaff wrote: »

It's very important that this study is correlation, NOT causation.

If I would hazard an explaination, it would likely be obese parents tend to be less active. It may correlate with sedentary activities such as watching TV and playing video games...not things great for toddler emotional development. Toddlers need a lot of active, hands-on activity and interaction, after all.

Scientifically, the important question would be, "WHAT aspect of having obese parents affects toddler development?" Is it parent-child interaction? Physical activity? Something nutritional? Something about media consumption?

The important take away I think should be that obesity can affect many people, and not just the individuals. Losing weight to be a better parent is a worthy goal.

Haha I originally posted (not as eloquently) my thoughts on parent child interaction then edited. Baring special needs it seems social skills and problem solving skills would be directly related with interaction.

And the study doesn't seem to focus at all on the parents personality traits, which would seem to be pretty important to me. Obese folks have as varied personalities as anyone else, and given that children tend to learn primarily from the examples before them, it should have at least more than a passing mention. Maybe what they found didn't fit with the conclusions they were looking for?

Anecdotal, but I, and probably all of you would know, or have met obese people who go non-stop, are very outgoing socially etc, and those who fit the stereotypical image of what some people think obese folks are - simply introverted couch potatoes doing nothing but eating.

kenyonhaff

It's not uncommon to have very fit kids but very unfit (physically) parents. All of those practices, meets, tournaments, etc. the ADULTS AREN'T WORKING OUT. And if you have a full time job, it's very difficult to find time to squeeze in exercise time.

I know if I have to bring my child to karate, I can't work out at that time period. Well, if the weather is nice I might be able to go for a walk but it's not a big enough dojo to have an adult class at the same time or anything like that. I'm on the sideline playing on my phone.

Very often, when you sign your kid up for sports, that effectively takes away time THE ADULT can play sports, exercise, and the like. Not always, of course. But the shuttle to and from sports is not entirely a break and often not a time for a good workout.

CSARdiver

tomteboda wrote: »

These types of observational studies frequently aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Especially at the levels of "failing" they're describing, you'd think that humans would've figured out that fat parents have completely inept children millennia ago. I mean, they figured having kids with your siblings was bad thousands of years ago, and this would've been even MORE obvious.

I am in complete agreement. You cannot possibly address all the variables outside a clinical setting and subjectively identify something as trivial as the weight of parents to any meaningful end.

Reaverie

I have been a single mom most of my kids lives and have always been on the heavy side. Both are brilliant and ahead of the game. I was 279lbs when my son taught HIMSELF to read at 3. I didnt teach him. He was obsessed with an N64 game called perfect dark. He was constantly asking me to read off the mission reports until I finally told him that if he wants to play the game he has to learn to read. He shrugged, said "OK", put down the controller and picked up a hooked on phonics toy. Within a month he was reading his own reports and searching the web for cheat codes. He was in the gifted and talented program as well. His sister is just as brilliant, just not as motivated, but she was tested to see if her scores were on par with her brothers from when he was her age and they are.

A study also shows a higher rate of academically stunted children in sub-poverty families. You cant get any lower than what we are. It isnt a nature problem, its a nurture problem. Parents who are "checked out" of life arent as supportive of their children as those who take an active role in their kids education. Dont be a statistic and your kids will be just fine.