Fat mothers = Father Daughters; Fat Fathers = Fat Sons

[morningpaper]

Isn't this finding odd?

Obesity patterns for same sex parent-child

"obese mothers were 10 times more likely to have obese daughters.

For fathers and sons, there was a six-fold rise. But in both cases children of the opposite sex were not affected.

they said it was probably because of some form of "behavioural sympathy" where daughters copied the lifestyles of their mothers and sons their fathers."

[morningpaper]

That should say: Fat mothers = Fat Daughters; Fat Fathers = Fat Sons

Not fat mothers FATHER daughters

that would be weird

[Carrotfly]

Whats odd about it ??

I dont think it comes as a surprise at all.

[whomovedmychocolate]

Well my mum AND dad are fat and I'm not, but could be if I didn't make a conscious effort. So I guess I'm completely scoobied by this then

[notyummy]

I don't think the finding is odd tbh. It sounds like common sense to me. I know women who are overweight but try and feed their kids healthy stuff and think that will be enough to ward off them getting heavy as well....but it's a lifestyle/role modelling thing. If my mum sits on the sofa, drives everywhere and eats/drinks generally too much, then that is what seems normal to me as a child. Also overweight mums are probably less likely to go out walking/play sport with their daughters.

Equally, I would have thought if a woman has an unhealthy relationship with her food/bodyshape and doesn't eat enough or is always focusing on being a size eight, then that will be passed on to her daughter.

I am quite passionate about staying a healthy weight through a sensible diet and exercise and showing my daughter that you can eat occasional treats if you exercise, and that sport is fun.

[fartmeistergeneral]

Same here, my entire family on dad's side and mum's side are fat. My sister is fat. I also could be fat (if I wanted ) but I have to watch what I eat and exercise like a demon.

[HerBeatitudeLittleBella]

Another vote for not finding it odd at all. We role model all other aspects of life for our children, why not weight?

[smugmumofboys]

I don't think it's odd. My mum and her five sisters are all (except one who suffered a devastating bereavement and exercises manically) are fat just like my late granny. The two brothers are not, just like my late grandad.

I thank the Lord that me and my skinny DH have boys.I struggle with my weight and would hate to pass that on to another generation of girls, whether consciously or not.

[AppleandMosesMummy]

At the school all the fat parents have fat children.
Be it mothers or fathers, but mainly when the mum is fat the kids are too, presumably she's doing the shopping and the cooking.

[AitchTwoOh]

i thought it was pretty durrr myself. depressingly so, as the slightly porky mother of two daughters.

[cherryblossoms]

AppleandMosesMummy - But what MP is saying is that it's not down to the cooking/purchasing/distribution of food in the house - it's more to do with affective modelling with a strong gender aspect. ie. the boys pattern themselves on the fathers and the girls their mothers.

If that is the case, then the implications go beyond fat/not being fat. It's more that it indicates how strongly children model themselves on their same-sex parent.

So fat/not fat is just an indication here of the depth of that same-sex affective modelling. It implies that children will model a whole range of behaviours on that of their sam-sex parent.

And that's of interest for a whole range of issues. For example, that old chestnut; the importance (or not) of a same-sex role model in single-parent families for a child who is of a different sex to the single-parent.

[VietnameseCobbler]

bloody common sense surely

[AitchTwoOh]

oh right gotcha, cherry.

[JimmyMcNulty]

I think it's fairly interesting actually - why isn't my ds going to copy my behaviour/lifestyles/weight in this way whereas a daughter would? The difference is huge - a daughter 10 times more likely, a son not affected AT ALL, according to this. Especially as in our case I'm the one who's around all day 'modelling' my socks off and dh isn't around anywhere near as much? I assume their study controlled for this type of thing.

[BitOfFun]

Cherry, put your brains away love - it's Monday and you're making us look bad

[morningpaper]

Ah sorry been out

It's odd because you (well, I) would assume more of a genetic component, and also I would assume that children would copy the mother, who provides the food and is with the child for much longer periods

But the child copies the same-sex parent

I find it extraordinary actually - of all the gender-ideas we impose on our children, I wouldn't have thought this would be the sort of thing that would impact

[Lizzylou]

Phew

Have two boys and luckily DH is a trim whippersnapper.

[morningpaper]

And also, we tend to assume that targetting CHILDREN and their behaviours is important as far as controlling weight is concerned

This suggests we need to target PARENTS

[morningpaper]

Ah good point Lizzie

If you are a porky mum with boys, you don't need to worry

[Lizzylou]

Hump, am not that porky!

[Lizzylou]

Humph, not hump, obv

[AitchTwoOh]

that is really interesting, mp, and makes those lardy arseholes at the jamie oliver school gates look a bit bloody stupid. (unless they had boys in which case it's a-okay).

[AitchTwoOh]

that is really interesting, mp, and makes those lardy arseholes at the jamie oliver school gates look a bit bloody stupid. (unless they had boys in which case it's a-okay).

[HerBeatitudeLittleBella]

But don't we know this already from other areas of life, eg: violence in the home? Aren't girls who grow up in violent households more likely to be beaten up themselves when they grow up, while boys are more likely to beat up the women they are with?

[AppleandMosesMummy]

And yet isn't it also proven that fathers have a huge impact on girls self esteem and therefore self image I would imagine ?
So we conclude that children need a mother and a father, who knew

[HerBeatitudeLittleBella]

Um, no, that's not what I conclude Apple.

If one of those parents is not a good role models, then surely it would be more logical to conclude that children don't need him or her? If both of those parents are bad role models, then the simplest conclusion would be that the child needed neither of them.

But simple conclusions aren't necessarily reliable.