Friday, 2 November 2012

You are what your mother ate

You are what your mother ate. 

If that's true, I think I am a Mars Bar dipped in peanut butter on a piece of white bread. With lashings of BBQ sauce.

I have become ENTHRALLED with the 'Life' series- a documentary that takes you in the lives of 11 children from the ages 1 to 3 to 5 to 7. Right before your eyes.

This episode was of particular interest to me-  Fighting Fat. It looks into the development of a child's eating behaviours. A particular interest area of mine, especially for my research project looking into the predictors childhood obesity (and therefore I didn't have to feel guilty about not doing my research, it seems like worthwhile procrastination).

And for all of the nerds out there- it introduces the topic of 'epigenetics'. Simply (but not that simple), its the ability for 'environmental'  factors (ie. exposure to certain foods) that have the ability to turn your genes or DNA 'ON' or 'OFF'. It is hypothesized that nutritional quality before or during pregnancy may cause these 'epigenetic' changes in the baby that may lead increase the risk of a child becoming overweight (Rhee, Phelan & McCaffery, 2012).


 Thanks Mrs. Harris.


Enjoy the quality procrastination. It's educationally entertaining.




Holly Harris

Student dietitian.



 Rhee, K. E., Phelan, S & McCaffery. (2012). Early Determinants of Obesity: Genetic, Epigenetic, and In Utero Influences. International Journal of Pediatrics, vol. 2012, Article ID 463850, 9 pages, 2012. doi:10.1155/2012/463850


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