| BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (UPI) -- U.S. researchers have linked giving birth to the development of metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of symptoms leading to heart disease.
The study, published in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, also found women with gestational diabetes were nearly 2 1/2 times more likely to develop metabolic syndrome than were women without it.
"Our findings suggest that childbearing can contribute to the development of the metabolic syndrome and that part of the association may be through weight gain and lack of physical activity," Dr. Cora Lewis of the University of Alabama at Birmingham said in a statement.
"And, although women with gestational diabetes had the highest relative risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, those with non-gestational diabetes pregnancies made up the larger at-risk group."
Lewis, the study leader, and colleagues looked at 2,787 women in the 20-year Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study and included 1,451 for their study. Of these, 706 had no births and 745 had at least one birth during the 20 years following.
Of the 745, 88 had at least one birth complicated by gestational diabetes. The researchers controlled for preconception measurements of body mass index -- a measure for body fat and other metabolic syndrome components as well as for physical activity.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International
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| Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar Dear Annie: I am the father of two sons, 7 and 11. At what point do you stop dressing or being naked in front of your children? I come from a minister's family, and my wife comes from a somewhat dysfunctional family. Let's just say they are at the other end of the spectrum and leave it at that.
My wife still gets dressed and undressed in front of the boys, and thinks nothing of coming out of the shower naked while the boys are in our bedroom watching TV. I sometimes get dressed in front of them at home or at the changing room at the pool.
What do you think? -- Curious in Maryland
Dear Curious: Parents of the opposite sex should not be undressing in front of their children after the age of 4. Unless you intend to raise them as nudists, both of your boys are too old for this. The 11-year-old will be going through puberty soon and will become plenty confused if he is inadvertently aroused by his mother. Insist that every member of the family have some privacy.
Dear Annie: All the men in our family are big, including me, but we have learned to control our weight through physical activity and diet, except for my dad. Over the past 20 years, he has continued to eat more and move less to the point where he now is out of breath walking from one room to another.
My mother tries to feed him healthy, low-fat foods, and we have all tried to be honest with him about his weight, but it doesn't seem to matter. I understand no one can lose the weight for him. It is his decision. But I am so angry with his choices that I can barely stand to look at him. Dad is essentially killing himself, and I have lost respect for him. He refuses to see a doctor. Can you help? -- Want To Love Him
Dear Want: Please stop being angry with your father. He doesn't want to be overweight, but finds it so difficult to eat properly and exercise sufficiently that he has become depressed and given up. You cannot make him try harder, but you can make sure he understands that his health affects the entire family and you love him, no matter what size he is. Let him know that whenever he is ready, you'll be happy to go with him for a long walk, bike ride, fishing expedition or trip to the gym. Then try to forgive him for not being what you want him to be.
Dear Annie: "Clueless in California" bemoans her daughter's lack of independence, but young people don't turn out that way without a lifetime of parental coddling. Today's parents do their kids' laundry, cook for them and provide them with new cars, clothes, expensive games and computers well past their 18th birthday without requiring so much as a part-time job or a little help with the housework. And then they are amazed when the kids never move out.
I was guided to pick up my toys as a toddler, cleaned my own room by second grade and started a savings account when I was 10. By 12, I helped with laundry, dishes and dinner preparation. I learned basic car maintenance before I was allowed to drive. At 16, my dad showed me how to balance a checking account. I had after-school and summer jobs in high school because my parents wisely thought that a part-time job would be important for learning responsibility and independence. I learned to save money for college and spent a little for music and other fun things.
Sheltering your children from ordinary daily chores, responsibilities and jobs does not give them a sunny childhood -- it harms them beyond repair. The name the parent chose to sign off with is significant -- clueless, indeed. -- Stunned in Baton Rouge
Dear Stunned: You have made some excellent points. It is the parents' responsibility to teach their children those skills they will need to become independent. But even at age 24, it's not too late to start.
Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailbox@comcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, P.O. Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611. To find out more about Annie's Mailbox, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
Copyright 2009 Creators Syndicate Inc.
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