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Preventing childhood obesity: Early‐life messages from epidemiology
Author(s) -
Robinson S. M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
nutrition bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1467-3010
pISSN - 1471-9827
DOI - 10.1111/nbu.12277
Subject(s) - obesity , overweight , life course approach , breastfeeding , medicine , intervention (counseling) , childhood obesity , epidemiology , pediatrics , early childhood , gerontology , weight gain , environmental health , developmental psychology , psychology , body weight , psychiatry , endocrinology
The high rates of overweight and obesity, currently seen in young children, underline the urgent need for preventive strategies in early life, before excess weight is gained. However, alongside such practical considerations, a body of epidemiological evidence now links experience in fetal and early postnatal life to an individual's later risk of obesity – pointing to the importance and role of ‘developmental influences’, such as maternal obesity, excess gestational weight gain and short duration of breastfeeding, in the aetiology of childhood obesity. Differences in early experience are linked to lifelong differences in predisposition to gain weight and, as the associated differences in obesity risk are large, real benefits could be achieved by early intervention. Such messages, regarding the need for efforts to address these early influences to prevent obesity, are now embedded in national and international health policy. Whilst successful prevention initiatives are needed early in life, the most effective strategies may need to be focused even earlier in the life course, in the period before conception. Although the challenges of changing behaviour are considerable, such changes have the potential to impact both on the health of future mothers and future generations.