Secular trends in new childhood epidemics: insights from evolutionary medicine

Martin Brüne,Ze’Ev Hochberg

doi:10.1186/1741-7015-11-226

Abstract

In the last few decades, pediatric medicine has observed a dramatic increase in the prevalence of hitherto rare illnesses, among which obesity, diabetes, allergies and other autoimmune diseases stand out. In addition, secular trends towards earlier onset of puberty and sexual activity contribute to the psychological problems of youth and adolescents. All this has occurred in spite of the improved health care provision for children, yet traditional concepts of medicine have failed to explain these new ?epidemics?. A recent conference and science school of the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) in Acre, Israel, has taken up this challenge. Experts across disciplines including medicine, anthropology and developmental psychology discussed potential causes of childhood ill-health from an evolutionary point-of-view. Seen from an evolutionary vantage point, the ?epidemics? of childhood obesity, diabetes and psychological dysfunction appear, in part, to be related to a mismatch between ancestral adaptations and novel environmental contingencies. These include changing exposures to pathogens, which impact on the function of the immune system, as well as changing patterns of parenting, which influence the timing of puberty and the risk for developing psychopathology.

Highlights

For a few decades, pediatricians have begun to face “new epidemics” affecting children’s physical and mental health
In spite of improved access to healthcare and treatment options for many childhood diseases, clinicians have observed a dramatic increase in chronic diseases, including, among many, childhood obesity, diabetes and autoimmune diseases, since the 1980s [1,2]
Assortative mating, an evolved pattern of how individuals choose their sexual partners, which suggests that partner choice is based, in part, on physical similarity, may impact the risk of obesity, because of the potential accumulation of “thrifty genes” or genes involved in the regulation of fat deposition or satiety

Summary

Introduction

Pediatricians have begun to face “new epidemics” affecting children’s physical and mental health. Rather than fighting novel infectious diseases as the leading cause of childhood mortality throughout human history, new challenges for child healthcare have arisen from overweight, changes in growth patterns, earlier sexual activity, as well as from other secular transformations pertaining to the conditions of upbringing.

Results

Conclusion