Planning to start a family? First lose your weight as a new research found that maternal obesity puts a load on her offspring that lasts a lifetime.
According to a study, published in the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal, obesity in mothers predisposes offspring to inflammation-related disorders such as Alzheimer's, diabetes and heart problems from the day they are born, regardless of whether or not the babies are obese themselves.
“If there ever was a maternal hex, obesity might be it and as it turns out, even after the weight comes off, the biggest loser isn't a mother, but her child,” the researchers from Duke University said.
In the study, involving rats, the team found that obesity in mothers causes cellular programming in utero that predisposes offspring to inflammation-related disorders.
“We hope these data will eventually lead to treatments for obesity-associated problems, by the identification of novel targets within the immune system," said Staci D Bilbo, co-author of the study. Our hope is also that these data will lead people to consider the consequences of their dietary intakes not only for their own health, but also for their children's health, and potentially even their grandchildren's health.”
