To Keep Your Kids Thin, Avoid Pollution While Pregnant

Research into why people gain too many pounds shows that a weight and diabetes problem can begin in the womb. Lab research at Duke University shows that when a pregnant mom-to-be inhales diesel fumes, her kids are at an increased risk of obesity and insulin resistance when they grow up.

“If you’re pregnant and have a long drive into work, you might think twice about opening the car windows,” says Gerald Weissmann, M.D., editor-in-chief of the FASEB Journal that published thisstudy. “It’s already been established that risk factors for obesity (junk food, high fat-high cholesterol diets, etc.) begin as early as the womb. This important study shows that the air a mother breathes is also one of those risk factors.”