Abstract
Obesity and the metabolic syndrome have reached epidemic proportions worldwide with far-reaching health care and economic implications. The rapid increase in the prevalence of these disorders suggests that environmental and behavioral influences, rather than genetic causes, are fueling the epidemic. The developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis has highlighted the link between the periconceptual, fetal, and early infant phases of life and the subsequent development of metabolic disorders in later life. In particular, the impact of poor maternal nutrition on susceptibility to later life metabolic disease in offspring is now well documented. Several studies have now shown, at least in experimental animal models, that some components of the metabolic syndrome, induced as a consequence of developmental programming, are potentially reversible by nutritional or targeted therapeutic interventions during windows of developmental plasticity. This review will focus on critical windows of development and possible therapeutic avenues that may reduce metabolic and obesogenic risk following an adverse early life environment.
Highlights
Obesity is a serious health issue in the developed world and is becoming increasingly important on a global scale
It is well established that events that occur during critical developmental windows influence obesity risk with epidemiological, experimental, and clinical data showing that the risk of developing disease in later life is dependent upon early life conditions
It is thought that whilst adaptive changes in fetal physiological function may be beneficial for short term survival in utero, these changes may be maladaptive in postnatal life and contribute to poor health outcomes when offspring are exposed to catch-up growth, diet-induced obesity and other environmental factors (Gluckman and Hanson, 2004b; Gluckman et al, 2008)
Summary
Obesity is a serious health issue in the developed world and is becoming increasingly important on a global scale. Adaptive responses made by a fetus to an adverse intrauterine environment results in new physiological set points aimed at maximizing immediate chances for survival These adaptations may include resetting of metabolic homeostasis and endocrine systems and the down-regulation of growth which is commonly reflected in an altered birth phenotype. It is thought that whilst adaptive changes in fetal physiological function may be beneficial for short term survival in utero, these changes may be maladaptive in postnatal life and contribute to poor health outcomes when offspring are exposed to catch-up growth, diet-induced obesity and other environmental factors (Gluckman and Hanson, 2004b; Gluckman et al, 2008). DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAMMING OF OBESITY AND METABOLIC DISORDERS – EVIDENCE FROM EPIDEMIOLOGY Barker and colleagues demonstrated a relationship between low birth weight and an increased risk of hypertension, obesity, insulin www.frontiersin.org
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