Solon: Nature and nurture: The role of parental health for children

Solon: Nature and nurture: The role of parental health for children

Ah! The age-old debate: Is it nature or nurture? Are children going to be brilliant scientists, businessmen, athletes or anything under the sun because they were born that way? Or were they “groomed” to be a certain way.

We know from scientific study that it is somewhere in between.

Nature and nurture have implications on our children’s health too. From my recent doctor’s visit—brilliant guy, I must say—he talked to me about my “genetic” health predispositions. He asked me what sort of health problems ran in our family, so I tried recalling what I remembered.

After a short discussion he concluded by telling me, it’s not that we pass down genes to our offspring, we pass down our health habits, perhaps with us not even knowing to the next generation, and that in turn, causes us to be living healthily or perhaps not.

There are families suffering from hypertension because their eating patterns are filled with carbohydrates and animal fat, and they love to have this with their beverage of choice. Others could be struggling with diabetes as a consequence of being in love with sweets. While genetics does really have a role to play, I’m thankful to my doctor for reminding me that we often over-state its role in our health.

In a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, rodents who fixated their diets on high fat had offspring with metabolic problems. Think our equivalent of having slow metabolism and/or diabetes. However, those rodents who exercised had offspring who had none of those problems. Researchers have known now for some time that parents, especially mothers, have a huge role to play in the health and behavior of their offspring well before giving birth. Studies in animals and humans show that mothers with diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance or other metabolic problems before pregnancy tend to have babies with a predisposition to those conditions as adults, even if the offspring follow healthy lifestyles.

As parents, we all want our children to have a leg up on life. I surmise that all those who read this want that for our children’s health too. As parents, we have a responsibility and an obligation to provide the best life and future possible for our children and that includes our children’s health too. Let’s be mindful of both nature and nurture when it comes to our own family’s health.

For expecting mothers, do consult your doctor on an exercise routine that will suit you through your pregnancy. For parents, a discussion with your pediatrician might be needed to understand the role of exercise, proper nutrition and their standards in the development of your child. As always, exercise caution when performing any physical activity during this time especially indoors. Stay safe!

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