Recent research in a Canadian study suggests that obese women who go through weight loss surgery before conceiving children bear children who are much slimmer and healthier.

Years of previous research have shown that mothers who are overweight are more likely to have children who are overweight. While many attributed this pattern to obese mothers' habits and lifestyle, the new study shows that surgery may be a factor in helping babies become healthier.

The study tested a group of obese women who already had children. Then, the women underwent weight loss surgery, and conceived children after surgery. The children who were born after the women lost weight were healthier than their older siblings.

The youngsters who were born after their mothers were no longer obese were also less at risk for diabetes or heart disease in the future.

While lifestyle choices, including diet and exercise, are important factors that affect the health and fitness of the younger siblings, these findings show that children who are born after mothers perform weight loss surgery are at an advantage.

This advantage is due to changes in the womb, which is the environment that the fetus lives in. A mother's obesity affects the chemical changes that occur inside the womb, which may make genes speed up or slow down.

Obese moms have greater amounts of sugar and fat in the bloodstream, which may affect conditions in the womb and worsen the health of the growing baby.

Dr. Susan Murphy of Duke University calls this study "a very clever way of looking at this," and says that obesity is "not just impacting your life, it's impacting your child."

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, over half of pregnant women are overweight, increasing the risk of their children having heart attack or stroke when they grow older.