childhood obesity/ prenatal factors Flashcards
Fat cell theory
Another critical aspect of the fat cell theory relates to childhood obesity. Research published by Knittle et al. (1979) in The Journal of Clinical Investigation demonstrated that individuals who were obese as children have a higher number of fat cells compared to those who developed obesity later in life. This suggests that early intervention is crucial because fat cell number is established early in life and remains stable in adulthood.
A more recent study by Bruce Buchholz and colleagues, published in Nature (2008), confirmed the earlier findings of Knittle et al. regarding fat cell number in childhood. The research used radiocarbon dating to track fat cell turnover and found that the number of fat cells is largely established during childhood and adolescence and remains constant in adulthood. Changes in body fat later in life occur mainly due to changes in fat cell size rather than quantity, which highlights the challenge of weight management once fat cells are established
prenatal causes-
extreme caloric deorivation during critical periods of pregnancy is positively related to children being at higher weight.
maternal diabetes- children with mothers who have insulin dependent diabetes, are more likely to be overweight.
The Dutch Famine Study (Susanne E. de Rooij et al., 2007) followed children born during the Dutch Hunger Winter (1944-1945). This study demonstrated that extreme caloric deprivation during pregnancy increased the likelihood of obesity in adulthood due to metabolic programming during fetal development. The research emphasized the long-term consequences of maternal malnutrition on children’s health, linking it to higher weight in later life (de Rooij et al., 2007).
A study by Catalano et al. (2018), published in Diabetes Care, examined the relationship between maternal gestational diabetes and childhood obesity. It found that children born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) had a higher BMI and were more likely to be overweight. The research showed a significant link between maternal metabolic conditions, such as diabetes, and the predisposition of children to weight gain (Catalano et al., 2018).
van der Graaf et al. (2018) conducted a study published in Diabetes, which found that children exposed to maternal GDM or obesity during pregnancy had increased hypothalamic responses to glucose. This heightened activation in brain regions associated with appetite regulation was linked to future weight gain in the offspring (van der Graaf et al., 2018).
These studies underscore the critical impact of maternal health and nutrition on offspring weight outcomes later in life
Familial factors
familial environment marked by lower socioeconomic status, is linked with overweight children especially in girls.
Studies into children reared in families that are neglectful had a higher risk of being overweight, even after controlling for socioeconomic factors
parents eating behaviour, including disinhibited eating may contribute to higher child adiposity, but this needs further studying.
Martin et al. (2017) conducted a study on socioeconomic status and obesity in children, finding that children from lower SES backgrounds, particularly girls, had a higher risk of being overweight. The study suggested that the social environment plays a significant role in childhood obesity due to limited access to healthy foods and healthcare (Martin et al., 2017).
Hemmingsson et al. (2014) explored the role of family neglect on child weight outcomes. The research highlighted that children in neglectful families were at a greater risk of obesity, even after controlling for socioeconomic factors. This study underscored the importance of parental care and engagement in child development and weight management (Hemmingsson et al., 2014).
Sleddens et al. (2014) examined the impact of parental eating behaviors, including disinhibited eating, on child adiposity. Their research found a correlation between parents’ disinhibited eating and increased child weight, although they noted that more research is needed to explore this relationship in-depth (Sleddens et al., 2014).
These studies suggest that family environment, socioeconomic status, and parental behaviors significantly influence children’s risk of becoming overweight.
snacking-
piernas & Pompkin 2010- Nationally representative surveys of food intake in U.S. children show large increases in snacking between the 1989–91 to 1994–98 and 1994–98 to 2003–06 periods. Childhood snacking trends are moving toward three snacks per day, and more than 27 percent of children’s daily calories are coming from snacks. The largest increases have been in salty snacks and candy. Desserts and sweetened beverages remain the major sources of calories from snacks
