Is There a Maternal Connection to Obesity?

Girls born to obese moms may be at a higher risk of becoming obese themselves, a new study finds.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity affects almost 42 percent of adults and 20 percent of young people in the United States.

The study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism shows that girls had a similar body mass index and fat mass to their mothers, suggesting that girls born to moms who are obese are at higher risk of also becoming obese.

The researchers did not find the same association between boys and their moms.

According to Kuldeep Singh, M.D., FACS, MBA, FASMBS, a top weight loss surgeon in Maryland, and Director of The Maryland Bariatric Center at Mercy, the study is fascinating.

"It is very preliminary - whether it would mean that these young ladies would go on to develop adult obesity or not - but it does help us focus on young girls' obesity issues much earlier on," Dr. Singh said.

Dr. Singh noted that a healthy pregnancy is most important, and that women should find a doctor to get what he calls a "reality check" before getting pregnant. This will help ensure a woman is in a healthy state of body and mind, and if her weight needs to be in a better range, she has time to correct it.

View Mercy bariatric surgeon and weight management expert Dr. Kuldeep Singh's interview regarding a maternal connection to obesity.