It’s the mom who is the main person at home in charge of health and nutrition – so it follows that without her resolving issues such as obesity, it is unlikely that others in the family will be able to address them.
According to Christine Ferguson, professor at The George Washington University and Director of the STOP Obesity Alliance a mother with healthier weight means a healthier family and even society.
4 factors that are seen to impact weight and obesity among mothers:
- Physiological, psychological, cultural and socioeconomic factors impact obesity at various points in a woman’s life – including puberty, pregnancy and menopause.
- Certain racial groups such as Hispanics and African American as well as Native American women are more prone to obesity, so race is a determining factor here.
- Unrealistic Body image ideals and other biases portrayed by the media and encountered at the workplace, educational, health care and social environments is another factor.
- The expectations that are placed on women as primary caregivers impacts the way that they shape and influences the decisions made in the family and the behaviors followed by the family, particularly children.
