Too many food choices could aggravate obesity

A new research has found that the environment having no stronger force in determining obesity in children than their mother's diet, makes them prone to have poor diets and have related health problems.

The research led by Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Edward via College of Osteopathic Medicine explained that nurture could be a larger issue when dealing with the obesity epidemic rather than nature, and too many food choices increases the obesity problem.

Deborah Good, an author of the paper said that everyone likes variety, but when there is a choice, humans are tending to eat more than when there is no variety, and leads to overeating.

George Davis, a professor said that their study shows that environmental factors are just as important as a mother's diet when it comes to obesity.

The team of researchers mentioned that if low-fat foods are more readily available, or priced competitively with high-fat and unhealthy foods, even babies born to overweight mothers could counter their prenatal environment and avoid being overweight themselves.

The research is published in the journal Endocrinology.