If you follow a healthy lifestyle then chances are your offsprings are at a lower risk of being obese, a new study reveals.

Researchers, including those from the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, found that the risk was lowest among children whose mothers maintained a healthy weight, exercised regularly, did not smoke, ate a healthy diet, and were light to moderate drinkers, reported PTI. Mothers and children maintaining a healthy lifestyle could go a long way in reducing childhood obesity.

Obesity in childhood could lead to various complications in adulthood, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature death.

Obesity is a problem affecting every four adults and a fifth of ten to 11 year olds with a third of children aged 2 to 15 overweight or obese, reports indicate.
If the government does not take necessary measures, half of the UK could be obese by 2030.

Tam Fry, the chairman of the National Obesity Forum, told the Daily Mail that obesity rates were higher in rural areas and inner cities.

“The highest obesity rates predominantly are in the inner cities and rural areas with great levels of deprivation. Obesity is more prevalent in the northern areas. The north used to be the industrial hub of the UK but for the last 15-20 years the whole industry has changed.

“You no longer have big steel works with the kinds of activities where workers laboured all day long and kept themselves in shape by burning off a lot of energy. Now you have people sitting behind a terminal for eight hours ago and not getting enough exercise.”