Mom's Pregnancy Weight Doesn't Impact Her Kid's Future Obesity Risk After All, Says Study

According to CNN, they analyzed data collected in the "Children of the 90s" and "Born in Bradford" studies, but specifically zeroed in on the BMI of each participant, which was taken at birth, 1 year, and 4 years old.

The Children of the 90s study also recorded BMI data from participants at ages 10 and 15, which gave researchers even more to work with.

It's essentially an estimate of body fat, calculated by using a basic math formula (BMI = kg/m²) to divide a person's weight by their overall height. And while it's not necessarily 100% accurate all of the time, many experts say it can be a pretty good gauge of your risk for certain diseases that are more common with a higher body fat percentage.

According to the National Institutes of Health, those conditions include heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, and even certain cancers.

In fact, there's been ongoing debate for years about whether or not we put too much stock in BMI numbers, which can sometimes be misleading.

For example, two people with roughly the same height and weight may share the same BMI number. But while one person could be an athlete with a muscular build, the other could be quite the opposite, leading their true body composition to be much different.

For years, doctors have operated under the belief that a woman's pregnancy weight gain — or even her starting weight — could be an indicator of her child's future weight. This was mostly tied to the fact that higher pregnancy weight gains of 40 pounds or more were linked to heavier babies and vice-versa. Other studies have also found that babies who are considered clinically obese at birth are then more likely to become overweight children.

But during this latest study, researchers found that the link between a pregnant mother's BMI and her baby's only had a short-term impact. In other words, the mother's pregnancy weight can in fact lead her to have a heavier baby at birth; but as they grow, children with a high BMI of 25+ are actually more likely to be overweight or obese due to environmental factors than anything else.

(Pretty major, huh?)

Basically, they include anything that makes children eat more and exercise less, according to study author Tom Bond, a senior research associate at the University of Bristol and visiting researcher at Imperial College London. (And yes, that sort of covers a lot of things.)

"Although the BMI of teenagers is linked to their mothers BMI, this is more likely due to inherited genes and lifestyle factors rather than effects in the womb," Bond explained to CNN via email.

For this reason, Dr. Christopher Bolling, pediatrician at Pediatric Associates, PSC, in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, told the news network that controlling maternal weight is not a "magic bullet" that will somehow "fix" obesity in future generations.

Bolling, who wasn't involved in the study but did review it, is also the former chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Obesity. (So it's safe to say he knows a thing or two about this.)

For some kids, that could mean living close to multiple fast-food restaurants and having less access to "large green, open areas" where they can run, walk, play, and otherwise burn off the calories they're taking in.

"We all seem to know the basics of lifestyle choices to be at a healthy weight," Bolling said. But "the challenge for us as a society is to make those healthy choices the easiest choice."

This is why it's so key for children to have increased access to healthy foods and things like parks, playgrounds, and other open areas for physical activity. It's also why initiatives like healthier school lunch programs and after-school activities can be pivotal in interrupting the cycle of obesity.

Rapid weight gain in general can be hard on the body, which is why experts say gradual weight gain over all three trimesters is the safest for both you and your baby. (That said, it doesn't always work out like that.)

Higher pregnancy weights are also linked to things like gestational diabetes, which could put your pregnancy at risk and require close monitoring and a strict dietary routine, since it causes potential complications that could affect your baby.

The bottom line here? As always, speak with your doctor. As uncomfortable as talking about weight can be, keeping the lines of communication open will allow you and your specialist to determine what "healthy" means for you — and, likewise, your baby.