Can grandparents make kids fat?

Crucial to our evolution: Grandmothers who lived on to help with feeding their daughters offspring helped to pass on the longevity gene to future generations, scientists now believe. File Picture: Jennifer Bruce

Crucial to our evolution: Grandmothers who lived on to help with feeding their daughters offspring helped to pass on the longevity gene to future generations, scientists now believe. File Picture: Jennifer Bruce

Published Jul 17, 2013

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London - Grandparents who babysit their grandchildren could be inadvertently making them fat, according to research.

It found that toddlers who stay with their grandparents frequently are a fifth more likely to be overweight or obese.

Experts say grandparents tend to be less energetic and are also more inclined to treat children with unhealthy, sugary treats.

Researchers in Finland looked at 9 000 UK families with at least one child between nine months and three years old over two years.

Researchers found children who were mainly looked after by their grandparents were 22 percent more likely to be overweight or obese than those who stayed with parents, friends or neighbours.

Dr Antti Tanskanen, from the University of Helsinki, said grandmothers in particular had a natural instinct to nurture, which would have been vital in times when food was scarce, but means they are overfeeding children today.

Commenting on the research published in journal Evolutionary Psychology, psychologist Dr Aric Sigman said grandparents could be less aware about the nutritional content of food and today tended to be older, frailer and therefore less likely to encourage children to be active. - Daily Mail

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