Obesity among the children of all over the world is increasing rapidly. Some researchers who were researching about the problem of obesity among children has claimed that from expecting mothers’ health behavior the obesity risk of their babies can be revealed. The study led by the researchers from the University of Montreal has disclosed that babies of those women who smoke during pregnancy have higher risk of developing obesity in childhood. Children of overweight mothers also develop the risk of childhood obesity.

The author of the study Laura Pryor has cited that although it is really very hard to change smoking habits but it is expected that the findings will rise senses among mothers and at least convince them to try to stop smoking or gaining weight for the sake of their babies.

For the study the researchers selected 1957 children. They measured and recorded their height and weight every year from their age of five months to eight years. Their aim was to study the development of the children’s BMI or the Body Mass Index. On the basis of the BMI the researchers made three groups. One contained the children who had low but stable BMI, one contained those children who had moderate BMI and the last group contained high BMI. Dr. Pryor pointed out that until the age of two and half children did not show those differences regarding BMI. After crossing the age limit children of the last group started to rush to high BMI and 50 per cent of them became 0bese by the time when they became middle aged.

The researchers found two factors that might be responsible for the rising of childhood obesity and these factors are expecting mothers’ weight and their habit of smoking. Those children from the last group or specifically the High BMI group were more likely to be the children of those women who had extra weight or who smoked during pregnancy.