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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Pregnant women who are "eating for two" may need to be more careful about what they are putting into their bodies.
A new report from researchers in London reveals moms who eat junk food during pregnancy and breastfeeding may have children who are likely to overeat and become obese.
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Researchers studied rats fed a diet of processed junk food, like doughnuts, muffins and sweets, during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The rats gave birth to offspring more likely to overeat and had a preference for junk foods rich in fat, sugar and salt compared to the offspring of rats fed regular food. Researchers suggest this effect may also be seen in humans.
Controlling the appetite involves hormones that signal the brain and regulate energy balance, hunger and the feeling of fullness. But eating is also pleasurable, involving reward centers in the brain, which can sometimes override the normal feeling of fullness. Previous research shows foods high in fat and sugar inhibit the signals of fullness and, at the same time, promote hunger and stimulate the reward centers.
Researchers say a fetus' and infant's exposure to junk food may explain why some people may find it harder than others to control how much junk food they eat even when they have access to healthier foods later in life.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: British Journal of Nutrition, published online Aug. 15, 2007
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