Lamb experiment sheds light on mother-child obesity link

Eating a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein has been shown to contribute to weight loss, improved cardiovascular function and lower body mass indices. Consuming lots of produce is especially important for women who are pregnant, since numerous resources indicate that one's diet can affect a child's immediate and future weight.

A recent study published in the Journal of Physiology found that lambs born to overweight mothers are more likely to be overweight themselves. The research is the first to establish that animals that produce offspring born with an advanced level of maturity - like lambs or humans, rather than laboratory rodents - can seemingly pass on obesity.

Researchers found that those ewes who ate a high-fat diet tended to give birth to larger lambs, whose levels of leptin - an appetite-controlling hormone produced by fat cells - did not peak and recede, but continued to rise.

The team theorized that overweight mothers may expose fetuses to excess cortisol, the stress hormone, which could predispose their children to have higher leptin levels, appetites and body weight.

Even among those who are not expecting, consuming more produce and whole grains has been found to entail numerous positive consequences for the heart, blood vessels, bones and muscles.