Pregnancy Eating Habits Linked to Obesity in Adolescence, Study Finds

04 Apr 2016 --- An expectant mother's eating habits may predict her unborn child's risk of obesity, as fatter fetuses have a substantially higher risk of developing the condition during adolescence, according to a new study.

New research from the University of Glasgow has revealed that fatter fetuses have a substantially higher risk of developing obesity during adolescence. After analyzing blood samples collected from umbilical cords and children, researchers found that the markers leptin and adiponectin can accurately predict the amount fat in the child at birth and later in life.

"Birthweight was positively associated with fat mass, waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) at age 9 and 17," said Joy Simpson, lead study investigator and clinical research fellow maternal and reproductive health at the University of Glasgow, UK.

"Fetal over-nutrition may facilitate fetal growth and fat accretion, as determined by cord leptin and birthweight, and may program greater adiposity in the child that extends into childhood and adolescence," added Simpson.

The latest study involved data from 5,011 mothers and children in the UK. After comparing blood cord markers, researchers linked higher levels of leptin and adiponectin in cord-blood at birth to a greater amount of fat in children at ages 9 and 17.

The researchers said that the latest findings held true even after they accounted for lifestyle factors like mother's weight in pregnancy. The study also linked higher levels of leptin in cord-blood to greater fat mass, waist circumference and BMI at ages 9 and 17. However, the relationship between leptin and fat mass became weaker at age 17 when cord leptin was linked to fat mass, waist circumference and BMI.

Further analysis linked the cord blood adiponectin to greater fat mass and waist circumference. However, the association was not found at age 9.

"This work highlights the importance of optimizing maternal health before and during pregnancy to improve offspring health and limit the translation of greater adiposity onto future generations," said Simpson.

The latest study comes after the release of statistics showing that there are more obese people than there are underweight people (as reported in NutritionInsight on 01 Apr 2016). If the trend continues, experts publishing in the scientific journal Lancet estimate that one in five people will be obese by 2015.

The recent findings were presented at the annual Endocrine Society meeting in Boston, MA.