Pre-Natal Weight Loss Plan

There have been plenty of items in the news over the last couple of years bemoaning the fact that people are getting bigger. Not just getting taller or evolving bigger feet, but getting bigger weight wise. I've even bemoaned the fact that I too have a few extra pounds that I would rather be without. Now it seems that we've given up on trying to get people to watch their weight themselves and are now going after that last remaining area of weight loss potential – babies in the womb.

A new study is going to track pregnant mothers and their caloric intake and exercise during their pregnancy to see if what a mother does and eats during the nine month gestation will have any effect on the future weight of their baby. In an attempt to prevent fat kids, doctors are hoping to head off the chubby at the pass. The idea is that if mothers follow a better plan during their pregnancy, the result will be more 'normal' birth weight babies and a reduction in childhood obesity.

I'm not a scientist and I don't even play one on television, but I do have kids. I've seen kids. I know of kids and I know people who have kids. Here's what I've noticed. Those people who have kids and participate in sports (or get any kind of exercise) and get off the couch, have fairly 'normal' weighted kids. Those who do not go out for walks, play in the park, play sports, walk the dog (scratch their bums, whatever) and spend more time in front of a television or playing video games have rather more, shall we say, large children. This is by no means the same in every case and not every situation is the same but…

When I was young (cue the old time music), days were usually spent outside running around like untamed lunatics. Most of the kids I hung around with were of, what most people would consider, 'normal' weight. There were a few kids who had a couple of extra pounds (probably what would be considered obese today), but that was 'just them'. They were 'big boned'. That was what they were. There was no real judgement and life went on. Looking at these kids now that they are grown ups (at least chronologically) they look 'normal'. Some of those who were what might be seen as the fittest when we were kids are now not. Some people grew into their fitness and some grew out of it. That's life.

I think that if we, as a society, really want to combat childhood obesity then we should look at the real culprits – fast food, lack of exercise and helicopter parenting. It's a vicious circle. A kid spends too much time in front of a television, begins to get fat, starts to feel bad about himself, doesn't feel like exercising and the parent takes him to a fast food place to eat crappy food to make him feel better and then writes notes to the phys ed teacher to say that little Theophilus can't take part in gym class because it makes him feel bad about himself. Repeat cycle.

Last I checked, feeling good about yourself and self esteem were self generated and nothing anybody can say or do will give them to you – just like fitness.