Obesity in Children Begins in the Womb of Obese Mothers, Says New Study

Previous studies have already highlighted that children with obese parents are more likely to be obese but the exact reason as to the association has been unclear. 

According to a new study presented to the American Diabetes Association, a possible cause of the higher risk is linked to pregnancy and the possible pre-programming for obesity while in the womb. Yahoo! Lifestyle reported that Colorado University scientists, who analyzed umbilical cord stem cells of babies from both average weight and obese mothers, coaxed the stem cells to develop fat and muscle. 

The researchers discovered that the cells from mothers who were classified as obese had 30 percent more fat than mothers who were at a healthy weight. 

The data suggests that babies with more obese mothers are more likely to gain weight. It was found that "while in the womb, the cells of children of obese mothers may be programmed to accumulate extra fat, or develop differences in metabolism that could lead to insulin resistance -- a condition that increases the risk of type 2 diabetes," summarized Web MD. 

However, what isn't directly confirmed is whether the infants are more likely to become obese or develop chronic health conditions that are associated with excessive weight gain, such as diabetes or different types of heart disease. Additionally, further analysis is needed to determine if the cells taken from the mothers who were obese have altered metabolism. 

"At this point, because this is fairly preliminary, we don't know how these differences in cells grown in the lab correspond to the physiology of these children after birth," quoted US News of Kristen Boyle, assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

"But it's clear that there is an inherent propensity toward more fat content in the cells from offspring of obese moms, in [lab research]. We also know that the fat accumulation in these cells corresponded to the baby's fat mass at birth. The next step is to follow these offspring to see if there is a lasting change into adulthood," Boyle continued.

The publication further updated that the report's data and conclusions are to be viewed as preliminary until it's been published in a peer-review journal. 

More information about keeping children at a healthy weight from the American Academy of Family Physicians.