Weight-Loss Surgery A Chance For Obese Families
Science Daily, 1st September 2009
The latest study shows that children of obese mothers who had weight-loss surgery tend to not having weight problems and improved cardio-metabolic markers when compared to children of obese mothers born before the weight-loss procedure.
The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Obesity during pregnancy can still lead to death in industrialized countries, cause insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease and pregnancy complications. Both obesity and its co-morbidities can be transmitted to the children. It means that at birth already a child is destined obese.
John Kral from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. says the study only confirmed the previous researches that “the intrauterine environment may be more important than genes and the post-natal environment when it comes to the association between maternal obesity and childhood obesity. Any medical or surgical treatment to reduce obesity and existing metabolic disorders before pregnancy can be an investment in the life of future offspring.”
Weight-loss procedures limit the amount of food intake which leads to the fact that less food is digested by the body. In the research women who underwent biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) took part. BPD makes the stomach smaller and directs food to bypass part of the small intestine which leads to fewer calorie intake.
49 mothers who had BPD surgery and their 111 children between 2.5 and 25 years old took part in the study. Some children were born before and some after the mothers’ BPD surgery. Children born after the procedure had reduced birth weight and were three times less likely to be severely obese. What’s more, they also had improved cardiovascular markers with reduced insulin resistance and lower cholesterol.
The study results show that women should be encouraged to lose weight before falling pregnant. While pregnant, they should also watch their calorie intake. Women who are severely obese but still want to become mothers, should consider weight-loss surgery beforehand. “Preventing obesity and treating it effectively in young women could prevent further transmission to future generations,” Kral added.
