Eating Junk Food during Pregnancy

Posted by Brenda Lane Sep 10, 2007

The British Journal of Nutrition recently published research that suggests a link between what a mother eats and the eating habits of her offspring.

Using animals, British scientists discovered that pregnant or breastfeeding rats who ate a diet that was the equivalent of a human high calorie, high fat and salty diet, produced offspring who developed a taste for those same things after they were born. The other group who was fed a normal diet, had pups that did not overeat.

Researchers believe that "eating large amounts of junk food rich in fat, sugar and salt in pregnancy and breastfeeding may influence the way the appetite centers develop in the brain of the offspring, leading to a greater preference for junk food."

I must admit that during my pregnancies, I could be a textbook case for these findings. I craved ice cream and frozen yogurt in my first pregnancy and ate a lot of it. They are among my first daughter's favorite foods! The second time around, I craved salty snacks like nuts and Doritos. My next daughter favors those salty foods.

A good lesson to learn is that our diet during pregnancy does have an amazing effect on our children, not just in the foods they learn to eat but also in terms of how their bodies grow and develop.

For a fascinating look at the effect of prenatal nutrition on your growing baby, see this article!

Brenda