Junk Food Cravings May Be Inherited

If you ever wanted someone to blame for your late night cravings for foods that may not be entirely healthy for you or even foods like chocolate that have health benefits when consumed in moderation, look no farther than your parents. In a study conducted by the Royal Veterinary College found that when the mothers were fed with cookies, potato chips and other sweet goodies, their children also ate more of the unhealthy foods.

The study suggest that junk food or even healthy food eating by the mother during a pregnancy will cause the same food preferences to be passed on to the child. The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that food preferences were programmed in the womb.

The rats used in the study were given a balanced diet, or at least what passes for a balanced diet in rats, access to a bland but otherwise healthy diet, or allowed to consume as much junk food as the type mentioned above. The research also showed that the rodents given easier access to junk food ate more food than the animals in the control group. Pleasure chemicals released by the brain may be responsible for the continued consumption of the unhealthy foods after the babies were weaned. The rats given the chow only consumed the least amount of food. Those fed on junk food consumed twice as much as the first group.

Professor Neil Stickland, who headed the research, said: "The government is trying to encourage healthier eating habits in school, but this shows that we need to start during the foetal and suckling life.

"Future mothers should be aware that pregnancy and lactation are not the time to over-indulge on fatty and sugary treats on the assumption that they are 'eating for two'.

Fiona Ford, a researcher at the same institute cautioned that because there is no evidence as of yet that the same link occurs in humans. So, while it may not be a good idea to indulge in junk food like potat chips, donuts, cookies, and other sweets like the rats in the study were allowed. Eating an occasional potato chip will not doom your child to a life of obesity. Another researcher at the facility added, getting results in rats is a lot different from getting the same results in humans. Further research will have to be conducted.

Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6940852.stm