Fetal Exposure to Chinese Famine Increases Obesity Risk in Adulthood.

Chao Song,Ganyu Feng,Jing Fan,Meng Wang,Ailing Liu,Zheng Chen,Yanning Ma,Yecheng Yao

doi:10.3390/ijerph17103649

Abstract

Fetal exposure to famine may have long-term consequences in adulthood. The purpose of the present study was to explore the association between famine exposure in fetal life (Chinese famine in 1959–1961) and obesity risk in adulthood. A total of 8054 subjects (3422 male, 4632 female) were recruited from the cross-sectional 2010–2012 China National Nutrition and Health Survey (CNNHS). The subjects born in 1960 and 1961 were selected as the exposed group, while the subjects born in 1963 were selected as the unexposed group. Multiple linear or logistic regression was performed to examine the association between fetal exposure to famine and risk of obesity (body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), obesity, central obesity) adjusting for gender, education level, economic status, physical exercise, sedentary time, smoking, drinking, the intake of livestock and poultry and the intake of cereal and beans. Compared with the unexposed group, WC increased by 0.52 cm after adjusting the covariates (p = 0.021) and females in the exposed group had a significantly higher prevalence of central obesity with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.15 (1.01,1.31) after adjusting the confounders (p = 0.030). WC increased by 0.71 cm, 1.21 cm after adjusting the covariates compared with the unexposed group among the total subjects and the female subjects in urban areas (p = 0.021, p = 0.001). The female subjects had a significantly higher prevalence of obesity and central obesity, with ORs of 1.34 (1.04,1.71) (p = 0.022), 1.28 (1.07,1.53) (p = 0.008) respectively. Our results suggest that fetal exposure to the Chinese famine increased obesity risk in adulthood, and the association was stronger in female and urban subjects.

Highlights

Overweight and obesity have received major attention worldwide
Our results suggest that fetal exposure to the Chinese famine increased obesity risk in adulthood
Our results suggest that fetal exposure to the Chinese famine increased obesity risk in adulthood based on the national samples

Summary

Introduction

Overweight and obesity have received major attention worldwide. One study presented that the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity rose by 27.5% for adults between 1980 and 2013, and the number of overweight and obese individuals increased from 857 million in 1980 to 2.1 billion in2013 [1]. Overweight and obesity have received major attention worldwide. One study presented that the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity rose by 27.5% for adults between 1980 and 2013, and the number of overweight and obese individuals increased from 857 million in 1980 to 2.1 billion in. Another study showed a total of 603.7 million adults were obese in 2015, and the prevalence of obesity has doubled in 73 countries and has continuously increased in most other countries since. In China, the prevalence of overweight, obesity and central obesity increased significantly with a secular trend among both men and women [3]. The 2010–2012 China National Nutrition and Health Survey (CNNHS) results showed the prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst residents aged 18 years and older were 30.1% and 11.9%, respectively [4]. A previous study showed that overweight and obesity were estimated to cause 3.4 million deaths globally in 2010 [2]

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Discussion

Conclusion