A recent study shows that this excess fat in the body is passed down from generation to generation.
- The risk of becoming obese as an adult is six times higher if both parents suffered from obesity at the same age.
- Even if only one parent was obese, the risk still increases threefold for children.
- “Our analyzes cannot determine whether this phenomenon is due to genes or the environment, but it is very likely that it is a combination of the two,” according to the authors.
Parents’ weight can predict that of their children, according to scientists at the University of Tromsø (Norway). In order to reach this conclusion, they carried out a study, the results of which will be presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2024) which will be held in Venice from May 12 to 15. As part of their work, the researchers started from an observation. “Previous research shows a strong association between the obesity status of parents and that of their children, but little has examined whether this intergenerational transmission of obesity continues beyond adolescence and adulthood.”
Thus, in their study, they were interested in the link between the BMI of parents and that of children when the latter reached adulthood and lived away from home for a long period. The team used data from a Norwegian population cohort. All volunteers were aged 40 to 59 when they participated in the research between 2015 and 2016. Parents, aged 40 to 59, who participated from 1994 to 1995 were also included in the analysis. In total, there were 2,068 parent-child trios.
6 times more likely to be obese when parents were obese
Analysis of height and weight data showed a strong association between parents’ BMI at middle age (40-59 years) and that of their child at the same age. In detail, the child’s BMI increased by 0.8 units for each increase of 4 units (one standard deviation) in the mother’s BMI and by 0.74 units for each increase of 3.1 units. of the father’s BMI.
When both parents suffered from obesity between the ages of 40 and 59, their child was six times more likely to suffer from obesity themselves at the same age than adults whose both parents were of normal weight. The risks were also higher when only one parent was obese. When only the mother had obesity, children were 3.44 times more likely to be obese. The corresponding figure for fathers was 3.74, according to the results which were adjusted for the sex of the offspring, the age of the parents and children, their education level and their level of ‘physical activity.
Obesity: “A combination” of “genes” and “environment” involved
“Genes play an important role in affecting our susceptibility to weight gain and influencing how we respond to obesogenic environments in which it may be easy to eat unhealthy. Some cohorts also suggest that children tend to develop similar eating and exercise habits to their parents when they all live under the same roof, resulting in a similar BMI. Our analyzes cannot determine whether this phenomenon is due to genes or environment, but it is most likely that it is a combination of the two. Whatever the explanation, our finding that obesity is passed down from one generation to the next and persists into old age adult highlights the importance of treating and preventing obesity, a condition that contributes significantly to poor health and premature death,” concluded Mari Mikkelsen, who led the work.
