Children of Overweight Parents at Higher Obesity Risk Due to Genetic Inheritance

A recent study reveals that children who are obese are more likely to have parents who are also obese, primarily due to inheriting obesity-related genes. To a lesser extent, children may be influenced indirectly by maternal genes, even when these are not passed down.

The research was conducted by Liam Wright from University College London, UK, and his team, with results published in the open-access journal PLOS Genetics.

Previous studies have shown that obesity in children is often linked to parental obesity. This could be due to genetic factors, prenatal influences, or the lifestyle choices of family members.

The new study examined how parents' genes impact their children's weight and diet. They analyzed body mass index (BMI), dietary habits, and genetic information from over 2,500 sets of mothers, fathers, and children.

Researchers focused on obesity-related genes in parents—both those passed to the children and ones not directly inherited that may indirectly affect weight through parental behaviors or environment, known as 'genetic nurture' effects.

The findings showed a strong correlation between parents' and children's BMIs, primarily due to inherited genes. Maternal genetic nurture effects had a smaller influence during adolescence, while paternal genetic nurture had negligible impact.

This suggests that a mother’s BMI is particularly important for a child's weight, both through direct genetic inheritance and indirect 'genetic nurturing'. Fathers only influenced their children's weight via inherited genes.

The study authors argue that analyses ignoring these inherited genes could misestimate parent influence on childhood obesity. They conclude that maternal weight may affect future generations, indicating potential intergenerational benefits from anti-obesity policies.