Children with two obese parents ‘are three times as likely to be slow learners’
The research also found kids of overweight mums are clumsier, whilst being born to an overweight dad increases chances of poor social skills
KIDS of fat parents are more likely to be slow learners, a study found.
Researchers said children born to parents where the dad was obese had a higher risk of poor social skills.
Meanwhile, those with overweight mums had a greater chance of being clumsy.
But when both parents were obese, there was a huge increase in the chances of low intelligence in the child.
The US team looked at data from more than 5,000 families in New York State.
They found badly overweight mums had kids 70 per cent more likely to fail a motor skills test at age three.
Kids of fat dads were found to be 75 per cent more likely to fail the test’s personal-social examination.
And with two obese parents, the risk of failing problem-solving tests tripled.
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The team said obesity during pregnancy may affect the unborn infant’s brain. Other research had shown it may affect genes in fathers’ sperm.
Study co-author Dr Edwina Yeung, of the US child development institute, said: “Our results suggest the dad’s weight has significant influence as well as the mum’s.”