Citation
Wu, Q. & Suzuki, M. (2006). Parental Obesity and Overweight Affect the Body-Fat Accumulation in the Offspring: The Possible Effect of a High-Fat Diet through Epigenetic Inheritance. Obesity Reviews, 7, 201-208.Abstract
Summary The prevalence of obesity in adults has been rising continually, as has the prevalence of childhood obesity, and a large number of epidemiological studies have demonstrated a direct relationship between parental obesity and childhood obesity. In this paper, we review the effect of diet, the intrauterine environment, and the genetic inheritance on obesity. We described a study in detail that used experimental animals as a model to investigate the effect of a parental high-fat diet on body-fat accumulation in their offspring. Fertilized eggs were transplanted in that study, and body-fat accumulation in the offspring of the parents fed a high-fat diet was found to be greater than in the offspring of the parents fed a low-fat diet, even when the experimental conditions were the same in the intrauterine and subsequent environment. The results suggested that a parental high-fat diet before intrauterine developmental stage may increase body-fat accumulation in the offspring. We discuss the possibility that parental diet may influence the lifelong health of offspring and epigenetic inheritance may be occurred.
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2006.00232.xReference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2006Journal Title
Obesity ReviewsAuthor(s)
Wu, Q.Suzuki, M.