Are YOU fat? Blame your parents
- May depend on weight of parents at conception not just gene inheritance
- New study finds fathers waistline important factor in youngsters weight
- Experts stress the importance of stopping kids from getting fat at school
- 23 genes are known to increase the risks of becoming obese in infancy
David Gardner In Los Angeles For The Daily Mail
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Obesity in children can be traced back to the pre-pregnancy weight of both the mother and father, a new study claims.
While most research in the past has focused on the mother, scientists in the US warn the father’s waistline is also an important factor as a couple plans for a family.
They say the chances of a child becoming obese go beyond simple genetic inheritance and may depend on the weight of his or her parents around the time of conception.
With obesity rates among children escalating, experts stress the importance of preventing youngsters from putting on extra bodyweight at primary school.
Researchers say the chances of a child becoming obese go beyond simple genetic inheritance and may depend on the weight of his or her parents around the time of conception
There are 23 genes known to increase the risks of becoming obese in infancy and during middle childhood.
‘Acquired factors influence gene expression,’ Dr David Ludwig, an obesity specialist at Children’s Hospital Boston, told the New York Times.
‘Being heavy alters DNA in the father’s sperm that changes gene expression and can be passed down to the next generation.’
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In a study published in the journal Clinical Epigenetics, authors Adelheid Soubry and Lisa Guo concluded obesity can have an effect on a small number of sperm cells.
The results came from sperm DNA analysis from 69 male volunteers who were quizzed on their weight, marital status, whether they were already fathers, the number of hours of intensive exercise per week, number of hours spent watching TV or being seated or inactive per week.
‘The contribution of paternal obesity towards fetal and later adult development is especially relevant due to the global obesity trend and merits further exploration,’ they wrote.
‘Fortunately,’ they added, ‘studies have also indicated that paternal effects on future offspring can be prevented by weight loss and exercise.’
The ‘obesity genes’ can alter the usual weight trajectory of children who are born lean, get chubby as infants and then shed the weight as they grow and become more active.
Twenty-three genes are known to increase the risks of becoming obese in infancy and during middle childhood
At around 10 or 11, the body fat can increase again in readiness for puberty, a process known as ‘adiposity rebound’.
‘Adiposity rebound occurs earlier and higher,’ among children with obesity-prone genes, Dr Daniel Belsky, an epidemiologist at Duke University School of Medicine, told the New York Times.
‘They stop getting leaner sooner and start putting on fat earlier and put on more of it.’
The child obesity experts say it’s key for adults to model healthy eating habits, both before and after birth.
He added: ‘If we want healthy kids, we need healthy mums before pregnancy and during pregnancy.
‘There are multiple pathways by which unhealthy levels of weight before and during pregnancy can influence a child’s weight going forward.’
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