New Study: Overindulgent grandparents can pose cancer threat to children
A new University of Glasgow study found that grandparents can affect their grandkids’ health negatively and even increase their cancer risks.
Doting, loving and absolutely giving, grandparents are a blessing to their grandchildren’s lives in untold ways. For one, researchers at Boston College discovered that close ties between grandparents and grandchildren (even adult grandkids) lowered the risk of depression for both groups.
However, could this indulgence and affection also be detrimental to their grandkids’ health?
As it turns out, it can.
A new study by the University of Glasgow published in PLOS One Journal discovered that over-indulgent grandparents may affect their children’s health negatively – even increase their long-term cancer risks.
Over-Feeding, Lack of Physical Activity & Negative Role Model Behaviour
The review found that owing to the over-feeding and treats-giving which grandparents tend to be guilty of, along with the lack of physical activity, children’s weight and height can be adversely affected. This, coupled with exposure to the grandparents’ second-hand smoke (should they smoke) and negative role-modelling behaviour can also affect their grandkids’ development.
Growing Role of Grandparents in Society
The research angle was a unique point of review, considering prior research focused mainly on how parents contributed to their kids’ risk factors for diseases like cancers. The researchers observed that with more working women and mothers and the rising childcare costs, the role of grandparents in their grandchildrens’ lives have also grown.
Lead author of the study, Dr. Stephanie Chambers from the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit shared, “Currently, grandparents are not the focus of public health messaging targeted at parents and in light of the evidence from this study, perhaps this is something that needs to change given the prominent role grandparents play in the lives of children.”
No doubt, research into the various factors that can impact a child’s development physically, emotionally and cognitively early in his or her life is crucial. After all, healthy habits that start early are far easier to sustain through adulthood. So the next time you bring your little ones over to your folks’ place, be sure to rein in the excessive treating and indulgence!
Sarah Khan
Photo: Getty Images
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