Obese Parents Research Articles

Empowering Change in Women's Health Journey Confronting Obesity

Obesity is a complex, neurobehavioral, chronic, progressive, relapsing illness that is curable. According to the WHO, 15% of women are obese, which has long-term health effects. Obesity care should prioritize health outcomes over weight loss. Common, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed terminology is needed when discussing obesity. Pregnancy causes profound physiological changes. Obese parents can improve their nursing and fertility with clinical contacts before, during, and after childbirth. Recognition and treatment of pre-existing conditions are possible. Obese women are more prone to develop gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal, venous thromboembolism, and sleep apnea, in addition to pregnancy. Obese women must be tested for reproductive and gynaecological disorders and take into consideration their higher risk of cancer. Depression must be diagnosed and treated. Due to this complicated condition, obesity is rising and public health programs have failed to reduce it. Interdisciplinary healthcare and effective health enhancement medicines should be the focus of future research.

Exacerbated cardiac dysfunction after myocardial infarction in offspring from obese parents

The prevalence of obesity in women of reproductive age is increasing rapidly, and children from obese mothers are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide with more than one million deaths per year in the U.S. alone. Using a model of parental obesity with male and female Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high fat diet (HFD) prior to mating, and dams maintained on the HFD during gestation and lactation, we found that male and female offspring from these obese parents have multiple metabolic abnormalities early in life (3 weeks old), and that male, but not female, offspring have impaired diastolic function associated with reduced cardiac SIRT3 expression and mitochondrial biogenesis. At 24 weeks of age, male offspring from obese parents exhibit increased blood pressure. To examine if offspring from obese parents are at greater risk of death and worse cardiac function after MI, male and female lean offspring fed a normal diet (ND) born from ND fed lean parents (ND-Offs, n=5-6/sex) and lean offspring fed ND born from HFD fed obese parents (HFD-Offs, n=6-11/sex) were submitted to a permanent left descending coronary artery ligation to induce MI at 12 weeks of age. Twenty-four-hour survival rate post-MI surgery was examined and cardiac function was measured by intraventricular catheterization with a Millar catheter on day 7 post-MI. Compared to ND-Offs, male and female HFD-Off born from obese HFD-fed parents exhibited reduced survival rate (male: 60% vs 100% and female: 55% vs. 83% for HFD-Offs and ND-Offs, respectively) and increased ventricular fibrillation post-MI. At day 7 post-MI, we observed reduced +dP/dtmax in male, but not female, HFD-Offs compared to ND-Offs (6,554±25 vs. 8,253±440 mmHg/sec in males and 7,962±557 vs. 7,668±890 mmHg/sec in females, for HFD-Offs and ND-Offs, respectively) despite similar infarct size in all groups (~40% of the total left ventricle circumference). We found no major differences in -dP/dtmin or tau (indices of diastolic function) between groups. Thus, parental obesity is associated with increased mortality rate in their offspring after induction of MI and worse systolic function in male, but not female, offspring even when offspring are fed a healthy diet after weaning and remain lean. NIDDK 1R01121411 (do Carmo), HL1630376 (da Silva/do Carmo), NIGMS P20GM104357 (Hall), P30GM149404 (Hall) and U54GM115428 (Hall). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Parental obesity predisposes offspring to kidney dysfunction and increased susceptibility to ischemia-reperfusion injury in a sex-dependent manner.

Although obesity is recognized as a risk factor for cardiorenal and metabolic diseases, the impact of parental obesity on the susceptibility of their offspring to renal injury at adulthood is unknown. We examined the impact of parental obesity on offspring kidney function, morphology, and markers of kidney damage after acute kidney injury (AKI). Offspring from normal (N) diet-fed C57BL/6J parents were fed either N (NN) or a high-fat (H) diet (NH) from weaning until adulthood. Offspring from obese H diet-fed parents were fed N (HN) or H diet (HH) after weaning. All offspring groups were submitted to bilateral AKI by clamping the left and right renal pedicles for 30 min. Compared with male NH and NN offspring from lean parents, male HH and HN offspring from obese parents exhibited higher kidney injury markers such as urinary, renal osteopontin, plasma creatinine, urinary albumin excretion, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels, and worse histological injury score at 22 wk of age. Only albumin excretion and NGAL were elevated in female HH offspring from obese parents compared with lean and obese offspring from lean parents. We also found an increased mortality rate and worse kidney injury scores after AKI in male offspring from obese parents, regardless of the diet consumed after weaning. Female offspring were protected from major kidney injury after AKI. These results indicate that parental obesity leads to increased kidney injury in their offspring after ischemia-reperfusion in a sex-dependent manner, even when their offspring remain lean.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Offspring from obese parents are more susceptible to kidney injury and worse outcomes following an acute ischemia-reperfusion insult. Male, but not female, offspring from obese parents exhibit increased blood pressure early in life. Female offspring are partially protected against major kidney injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion.

Abstract 15128: Impact of Paternal and Maternal Obesity on Offspring Systolic and Diastolic Function, and Liver Steatosis Early in Life

Introduction: Obesity in women and men of reproductive age may lead to adverse cardiovascular and metabolic developmental programing in their offspring. For example, we observed signs of cardiac diastolic dysfunction in offspring from obese rats as early as 3 weeks of age. However, the contribution from paternal and maternal obesity to increased susceptibility for developing cardiac dysfunction in their offspring early in life is unknown. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that paternal and maternal obesity both play important roles in causing impaired cardiac function and metabolic disorders such as fatty liver in their offspring early in life. Methods: Livers from male newborn Sprague-Dawley rats born from obese fathers (fHFD-offs), obese mothers (mHFD-offs), or from both parents being obese (fmHFD-offs) were weighed and analyzed for fat content by oil red-O and ECHOMRI. Additionally, within 1-3 days after weaning, male offspring were submitted to cardiac catheterization for assessment of cardiac function. Age-matched offspring from lean rats (ND-Offs) were used as controls. Results: fmHFD-Offs and mHFD-offs groups were heavier compared to fHFD-offs and ND-offs groups (61±4 and 64±2 vs 57±2 and 48±2 g, respectively) at 1-3 days after weaning. Newborn rats with at least one obese parent had more liver fat infiltration compared to ND-offs controls. Compared to ND-offs, only offspring from obese mothers (mHFD-offs) exhibited reduced dP/dt max (8998±466 vs. 10560±807, 11869±1171, and 11611±436 mmHg/s for mHFD-offs vs fHFD-offs, fmHFD-offs and ND-offs, respectively); fmHFD-offs and mHFD-offs showed additional signs of impaired diastolic function as indicated by increased Tau values (5.7±0.2 and 5.6±0.3 vs. 4.7±0.2 and 5.0±0.1 ms for fmHDF-offs and mHFD-offs vs ND-offs and fHFD-offs, respectively). Conclusions: These results indicate that while increased liver steatosis develops independent of which parent is obese, the presence of maternal obesity appears to be more critical for male offspring to develop cardiac dysfunction early in life. Additional studies in adult and aged offspring are needed to test if the impact of paternal and maternal obesity on offspring cardiometabolic function gets stronger with aging.

Maternal and paternal obesity differentially reprogram the ovarian mitochondrial biogenesis of F1 female rats

Obesity has harmful consequences on reproductive outcomes and the rapid increase in obesity is assumed to be influenced by epigenetics and trans-generation effects. Our study aimed to explore the effect of maternal and/or paternal obesity on the ovarian tissues of the first-generation female offspring in rats. The study was conducted on 40 adult Wistar albino rats (20 males and 20 females). Obesity was induced by feeding them an obesogenic diet for 3 months. The pregnancy was induced in the females by mating with males in four combinations: healthy mother with healthy father (control parents, CP), healthy mother with obese fathers (OF), obese mothers with healthy father (OM), and obese mother with obese father (obese parents, OP). After delivery, the female offspring at two months were sacrificed, and the blood and ovarian tissues were collected to assess the studied parameters. Our result showed differential impacts of maternal and paternal obesity on the ovarian health of the female offspring. The female offspring of obese OM or OP showed early signs of obesity. These metabolic abnormalities were associated with signs of ovarian lesions, impaired folliculogenesis, and decreased oocyte quality and also showed significant alterations in mitochondrial biogenesis, redox status, inflammation, and microRNAs expression (miR-149 and miR-494). In conclusion, altered ovarian expression of microRNAs and associated impaired mitochondrial biogenesis pathways may be the root causes for the observed intergeneration transmission of the obesogenic phenotype.

Factors Associated with Overweight/Obesity in Adolescent High School Students in Pekanbaru City

Based on the 2013 and 2018 Basic Health Research, there was an increase in the prevalence of overnutrition and obesity in Riau province from 3.1% to 11.6%. This study aimed to analyze the factors associated with the incidence of overweight/obesity in adolescent students of public high schools in Pekanbaru City in 2023. The type of research is quantitative analytic with a cross-sectional design. The research was conducted in May-June 2023. Samples were class X and XI students in three high schools in Pekanbaru City, namely SMAN 4, SMAN 6, and SMAN 12. Sampling was done by purposive sampling. Independent variables were gender, adolescent knowledge, parental education, parental occupation, pocket money, parental obesity status, physical activity, sleep quality, fast food consumption, and sugary drink consumption. The dependent variable was overweight/obesity. Data were analyzed univariately, bivariate, and multivariate. The results showed that the dominant variable associated with overweight/obesity was parental obesity status (OR=3.12; 95% CI: 1.25-7.83). Adolescents with obese parents were three times more likely to experience overweight/obesity compared to adolescents who did not have obese parents. Other associated variables were student knowledge (OR=2.62; 95% CI: 1.27-5.39) and sweet food habits (OR=2.34; 95% CI: 1.04-5.27). For this reason, schools are expected to work with the Health Office and Community Health Center to organize counseling or seminars on nutrition and obesity in adolescents; schools can provide healthy canteens by limiting the availability of fast food and sugary drinks.

Sex differences in weight gain, blood pressure control, and responses to melanocortin-4 receptor antagonism in offspring from lean and obese parents.

We examined potential sex differences in appetite and blood pressure (BP) responses to melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) blockade in offspring from lean and obese parents. Offspring from normal (N) diet-fed parents were fed N (NN) or high-fat (H) diets (NH) from weaning until adulthood. Offspring from obese H diet-fed parents were also fed N (HN) or H diets (HH). Adult male and female offspring were implanted with BP telemetry probes and intracerebroventricular cannulas to infuse MC4R antagonist or vehicle. Infusion of the MC4R antagonist SHU-9119 (1 nmol/h) for 7 days caused larger increases in calorie intake and body weight in obese compared with lean offspring. In male offspring, HH and HN groups exhibited higher baseline BP compared with NN and NH, and HH showed a greater reduction in BP during SHU-9119 infusion. In female offspring, HH also showed higher baseline BP and greater reduction in BP during MC4R blockade. SHU-9119 reduced heart rate in all groups, but reductions were more pronounced in offspring from lean parents. Combined α and β-adrenergic blockade reduced BP more in male HH offspring compared with NN controls. Losartan reduced BP more in male NH, HN, and HH offspring compared with NN controls. Losartan and α- and β-adrenergic blockade reduced BP similarly in all female groups. These results suggest that endogenous MC4R activity contributes to elevated BP in obese offspring from obese parents. Our findings also indicate important sex differences in the mechanisms of BP control in male and female offspring of obese parents.

Childhood Obesity: A Public Health Crisis

Over the past three decades, pediatric obesity prevalence has significantly increased globally. This obesity epidemic is thought to be the cause of the rising incidence of illnesses like type 2 diabetes in youngsters. Understanding the genetics and physiology of hunger control has advanced greatly, and as a result, the reasons for various unusual obesity diseases have been clarified. Children of thin parents may do better in weight control than children of obese parents. Adherence to exercise is likely to be a problem with obese children, and the choice or design of an exercise program should take these adherence problems into account. The nutritional adequacy of the child's diet should be evaluated both in terms of what the child is eating as well as in terms of the prescribed diet. We have learned almost little about how to prevent or reverse childhood obesity from these rare illnesses, though. Due to the modern sedentary lives of children, calorie intake and activity recommendations require re-evaluation and enhanced quantification at the population level. Given the growing understanding of the so-called energy gap, the current calorie recommendations for individual treatment may be too conservative. High-quality multicentre studies with long-term follow-ups are required despite improvements in the quality of research into prevention and therapy. During this time, efforts should be made to reduce intake and enhance energy expenditure through preventative and therapeutic measures. Increased efforts should be undertaken on all fronts to maintain this potentially promising trend in light of recent data that suggest that the spiralling rise in pediatric obesity prevalence may be slowing.

Parental obesity exacerbates immunometabolism and renal dysfunction in offspring exposed to acute kidney injury

Kidney disease is estimated to occur in 37 million people in the US, approximately 15% of the adult population. Obesity is a major driver of kidney disease via mechanisms that are still unclear, and pre-conception obesity in the parents may program kidney dysfunction and inflammation in their offspring. Using a model of parental obesity where male and female mice are fed high fat (H) diet prior to mating, with dams maintained on the H diet during gestation and lactation, we found that male offspring exhibit hypertension and initial signs of kidney injury in adulthood (24 weeks of age). We examined whether offspring from obese parents exhibit worse outcome after acute kidney injury (AKI), and whether this is associated with an immunometabolic shift in macrophages (Mɸ) toward glycolytic and pro-inflammatory phenotypes, as assessed by flow cytometry and Seahorse extracellular flux analysis to measure extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) as a measure of glycolysis. The following groups of male mice were submitted to bilateral renal AKI by clamping the left and right pedicles for 30 min: 1) lean offspring fed normal (N) diet born from N diet lean parents (NN, n=5); 2) obese offspring fed H diet born from N diet parents (NH, n=6); 3) lean offspring fed N diet born from H diet obese parents (HN, n=6); and 4) obese offspring fed H diet born from H diet obese parents (HH, n=7). Compared to NH and NN offspring from lean parents, HH and HN offspring from obese parents exhibited worse kidney dysfunction with higher urinary renal osteopontin (OPN) levels (93.8±8.7 and 73.7±16.6 vs. 213.8±24.0 and 151.1±24.6 μg/24h). We also found increased CD45+ Mɸ-like cells which play a role in initiating and maintaining kidney inflammation, as well as worse kidney injury score, increased tubular cell death, tubular blood clot, and glomerular tubularization in offspring from obese parents. Additionally, HH and HN offspring exhibited expansion of renal M1 Mɸ phenotype 4 days after AKI assessed by ECAR (glycolysis: 5.9±0.8 and 4.1±0.5 vs. 9.5±0.9 and 13.5±0.8 ΔmpH/min). Thus, parental obesity is associated with a shift towards M1 inflammatory Mɸ phenotype and increased risk of worse renal dysfunction in their offspring after AKI, even when offspring remain lean. NIDDK 1R01121411, NIGMS P20GM104357 and NIGMS U54GM115428) This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Intraindividual variability in brain activation—A novel correlate of obesity risk among female college students

There are published data describing impairments in the brain function of adolescents or young adults who have a genetic or familial predisposition for obesity. From these descriptions, it is often assumed that the impairments are appropriately captured by a central tendency estimate and therefore consistently detectable. The present study questions this assumption and shows that the variability in brain function over the time course of a cognitive task is a better predictor of familial risk than its central tendency. Sixty-nine female young adults lacking an obese parent and 24 female young adults with an obese parent were compared on the average amplitude and inter-trial variability (ITV) in amplitude of their P300 electroencephalographic responses to rarely-occurring stimuli during a selective attention task. Simple group comparisons revealed statistically significant findings with effect sizes that were markedly greater for analyses of P300 ITV versus P300 average amplitude. It is suggested that the elevation in P300 ITV among young adults with familial risk indicates temporal instability in systems responsible for the maintenance of attention. These fluctuations may episodically disrupt their attention to satiety cues as well as other cues that influence behavior regulation.

Father's weight could contribute to large babies in overweight and obese mothers with and without gestational diabetes

We evaluated whether there was an association between fathers’ nutritional status and children's birth weight (BW) considering weight-matched mothers with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). In total, 86 trios of women, infants, and fathers were evaluated. BW was not different between the groups of obese and non-obese parents, frequency of maternal obesity, or GDM. The percentage of infants who were large for gestational age (LGA) was 25% in the obese group and 14% in the non-obese group (p = 0.44). There was a borderline significance for higher body mass index (p = 0.09) of the father in the LGA group compared with the adequate for gestational age group. These results corroborate the hypothesis that the father's weight can also be relevant for the occurrence of LGA.

AN OVERVIEW OF OBESITY RISK FACTORS IN THE STUDENTS OF POLTEKKES KEMENKES TASIKMALAYA

The risk factors of adolescent obesity are caused by macronutrient intake, diet and eating habits, physical activity, genetics, knowledge, attitudes, and psychological. This study aimed to determine obesity risk factors for students of Poltekkes Kemenkes Tasikmalaya. This descriptive research studied on 100 students. Obesity is determined by BMI, while body fat composition is determined by the bioimpedance analysis method. Intake and diet were measured through interviews, using a 24-hour recall form, an FFQ questionnaire, and a PGS instrument. Physical activity was measured using the IPAQ form. Knowledge and attitudes are determined by interviews, using knowledge and attitudes instruments. The data were analyzed descriptively. Food intake data were processed using Nutrisurvey 2007 for Windows. BMI showed 64% belong to the obesity 1. The average of body weight was 73.96 Kg ± 11.89. The incidence of obesity occurs a lot during adolescence and college (70%), 48% have obese parents, and 42% have obese siblings. The average body fat was 32.84% ± 5.59 and the average visceral fat was 9.57 ± 4.72. Fat and carbohydrate intake and energy were 100% less than DV, while protein intake was 85% less than DV. The diet of carbohydrate and vegetable sources was less than normal, while protein and fruit sources tend to be normal. Physical activity was low with 46%. The average knowledge score was 75.1% ± 12.98, and the average attitude score was 78.2% ± 14.17.
 Keywords: Physical Activity; Intake; Obesity; Knowledge; Diet

Determinants of dropout and compliance of children participating in a multidisciplinary intervention programme for overweight and obesity in socially deprived areas.

Children with overweight and obesity in socially deprived areas (SDAs) are less likely to complete and be compliant to a weight-loss programme. To identify factors associated with dropout and compliance of a multidisciplinary weight-loss programme in SDA. This prospective longitudinal cohort study included children (6-12 years) with overweight and obesity in a 12-week multidisciplinary intervention living in SDA in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Potential predictive variables for dropout and compliance included were age, sex, the weight of the child and parents, quality of life, and referral status (self-registration or referral). A Cox proportional hazards model was performed to study the association between dropout and its potential predictive variables, whereas logistic regression analyses were used for the potential predictors for compliance. A total of 121 children started the intervention programme. Forty-one (33.9%) children dropped out and 68 (56.2%) were compliant with the intervention. The risk of dropping out of the intervention was significantly lower for a child with overweight parents than for those with parents with normal weight (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.22 [95% confidence interval, CI 0.063-0.75]), and for those with parents with obesity (adjusted HR 0.18 [95% CI 0.060-0.52]). No other potential predictive variables were associated with dropout or compliance. Children from SDA participating in a weight-loss programme have a relatively high dropout and a low compliance rate. Parental weight seems to be an important predictor for dropout of children from SDA, where children with normal weight or obese parents have the highest risk of dropout compared with children of overweight parents.

Abstract 112: Role Of Endogenous Brain Melanocortin-4 Receptor Activation In Regulating Blood Pressure And Metabolic Function In Offspring Of Parents With Obesity

We previously demonstrated that activation of the central nervous system (CNS) melanocortin system modulates sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and blood pressure (BP) in obese Zucker rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). In the present study, we examined whether endogenous activation of the brain melanocortin-4 receptors (MC4R) contributes to the regulation of BP and metabolic function in adult male (24-26 weeks-old) obese and lean offspring from parents fed a normal (N) or high fat diet (H). The rats were implanted with telemetry probes to measure BP and heart rate (HR) 24-hrs/day, and an intracerebroventricular (ICV) cannula was placed into the lateral ventricle. After 1 week to recover from surgery and 2 days of control measurements, the MC4R antagonist (SHU-9119) was infused (1 nmol/h, ICV) for 7 days followed by a 7-day recovery period. MC4R antagonism markedly increased food intake in all groups; however, the increase was more pronounced in obese offspring from obese H-fed parents (HH), especially when analyzing the net cumulative increase in food intake during the 7 days of treatment (191±11 vs. 136±14, 65±18 and 72±12 g) compared with obese offspring from lean N-fed parents (NH), lean offspring from obese H-fed parents (HN) and lean offspring from lean parents (NN), respectively. This increased food intake was associated with more weight gain in HH compared with NH, HN and NN offspring (Δ: 92±12 vs. 81±17, 52±11 and 38±9 g). Plasma leptin and insulin levels were markedly increased in HH offspring compared to NH, HN and NN offspring. Compared to NH and NN offspring from lean parents, HH and HN offspring from obese parents exhibited higher baseline mean arterial pressure (125±2 and 122±3 vs. 118±1 and 113±3 mmHg) and greater reduction in BP during SHU-9119 infusion (average last 3 days of infusion: -14.3±0.1 and -5.6±0.5 vs. -9.8±0.2 and -3.4±0.2 mmHg, respectively). The reduction in HR during SHU-9119 infusion, however, was more pronounced in NH and NN groups compared with HH and HN offspring (average last 3 days of infusion: -55±2 and -43±1 vs. -34±2 and -34±1 bpm). These results suggest that endogenous activation of brain MC4R may contribute to the elevated BP in obese offspring but not lean offspring from obese parents.

A Case Control Study on Risk Factors of Obesity Among Adolescents

Background: Adolescence is the transition period from childhood to adulthood and adolescent obesity can lead to systemic complications affecting the quality of life in later stages. This study aimed to assess the risk factors of obesity among school children of adolescent age.
 Methods: This Case control study included 110 obese and 110 non-obese adolescents between 10 and 17 years of age. Children with Body Mass Index (BMI) >+2 SD of WHO growth reference median for their age and sex were included as cases. Children with BMI between -2SD and +1SD were included as controls. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS software.
 Results: The risk factors which showed a statistically significant association with adolescent obesity were less educated father and mother, being a single child in the family, adolescents from nuclear type of family, having an obese parent, increased waist hip ratio and lack of exclusive breastfeeding during infancy.
 Conclusion: Educating children and parents on the importance of preventing obesity and harmful effects of adolescent obesity is the need of the hour. This can be done through intensive health education campaigns in community and schools, and regular reinforcement on primary preventive measures.

Prevalence and Correlates of Overweight, Obesity and Physical Activity in Italian Children and Adolescents from Lombardy, Italy.

Investigating pediatric overweight and physical activity correlates is essential to design effective preventive programs. We used regional data (Lombardy, northern Italy) from the 2019 survey “OKKio alla Salute” (3093 children aged 8–9 years with measured anthropometric data), and from the 2018 wave of the “Health Behaviour in School-aged Children” survey (2916 adolescents aged 11–15 years with self-reported anthropometric data). In both the surveys, a cluster sampling methodology was used. Unconditional multiple logistic regression models were applied to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) of overweight, obesity and poor physical activity. The prevalence of overweight (including obesity) was 22.4% for children aged 8–9 years and 14.4% for adolescents aged 11–15 years. A higher prevalence of overweight was observed among males, children with greater birth weight and those with obese parents. Scant physical activity was higher among females and older adolescents. There was a direct relationship between obesity and increased psychological distress (OR = 2.44; 95% CI: 1.12–5.27) or being victims of bullying (OR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.17–4.34). Increasing physical activity significantly decreased the frequency of mental health outcomes. Prevention campaigns should be promoted to safeguard childhood physical and psychological wellbeing.

Prevalence of Childhood Obesity by Country, Family Socio-Demographics, and Parental Obesity in Europe: The Feel4Diabetes Study.

The Feel4Diabetes study recruited 12,193 children (age: 8.20 ±1.01 years) and their parents from six European countries as part of the broader attempt to prevent type 2 diabetes. The current work collected data pre-intervention to identify the prevalence of childhood obesity by country and describe its association with socio-demographic characteristics and parental obesity status. One in four children were overweight or obese, and one in four families had at least one obese parent. Multivariate logistic regression examined the associations between childhood obesity, family socio-demographics, and parental obesity status. Children had a higher chance of being overweight or obese if they were living in “low income” countries (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.62, 2.74) and countries “under economic crisis” (OR: 2.48, 95% CI: 1.89, 3.24) compared to “high-income” countries; if their fathers completed fewer than nine years of education (OR: 2.16, 95% CI: 1.54, 3.05) compared to children whose fathers had a higher level (>14 years) of education; and if one (OR: 2.46, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.62) or both of their parents (OR: 6.83, 95% CI: 5.15, 9.05) were obese. Future childhood obesity prevention-programs should target the whole family while taking into consideration the socioeconomic and weight status of parents. Future research should examine these associations in more countries and in socio-demographically diverse populations in order to facilitate the generalisability of the present study’s findings.

Behavioral and Cognitive Consequences of Obesity in Parents and Offspring in Female and Male Rats: Implications of Neuroinflammation and Neuromodulation

Obesity is a rapidly growing public health concern that can create a family-wise burden. This study was aimed to investigate behavioral, cognitive, neuroinflammatory, and neuromodulatory consequences of the diet and parental obesity. Female and male Wistar albino rats were fed on either an obesogenic or standard diet for 12weeks, beginning with weaning. Thereafter, the animals were matched and allowed to mate. Pups born to obese or normal parents received either the diet or standard chow to the same age. The obesogenic diet and/or parental obesity increased the locomotor activity in both females and males. The diet exhibited anxiolytic-like and antidepressant-like properties, and impaired short-term object memory as well as spatial memory. Interestingly, the obesogenic diet resulted in neuroinflammation only in naïve animals, but not in the ones with parental obesity. BDNF, SIRT1, and p53 expressions were decreased, whereas RelN expression was increased in the brain with the diet, regardless of parental obesity. Multi-factor analyses demonstrated that the obesogenic diet is the prominent influencer of cognitive, neuroinflammatory, and neuromodulatory results while parental obesity has an effect on spatial memory, neuroinflammation, and hippocampal RelN and p53 expressions. Here, we provided supporting evidence for detrimental cognitive and neuroinflammatory consequences of early life consumption of the obesogenic diet which accompanies alterations in neuromodulatory factors. Surprisingly, the diet was found beneficial against anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors, and additionally, parental obesity was demonstrated to impair some aspects of cognitive performance which appears unrelated to neuroinflammation.

The Relationship of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Birth Weight and Parental BMI on Children’ Obesity Status

The aim of the study was to determine the differences in cardiorespiratory fitness, parents’ body mass index, birth weight between a group of children with normal and overweight / obesity and to determine how much the studied variables affect the risk of their biological offspring being overweight. The research was conducted on a sample of 1096 respondents, aged 6 to 10 years, randomly drawn from several primary schools in the Skopje region. The sample is divided into two sub-samples according to gender, 496 male respondents and 600 female respondents. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed with the 20m shuttle run test according to the procedures described in FITNESSGRAM. The children were classified into two groups, based on the percentages of the body mass index, according to the IOTF standard. The birth weight of the children was assessed from the pediatric records of each child at birth. The condition of overweight / obese parents was defined according to the classification of the World Health Organization. Data on the education of parents (especially mothers and fathers) were collected through a questionnaire.. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in this study was 22.6% and 14.9%, for the entire sample of respondents without statistically significant gender differences. The results of the research indicate the connection between obesity of parents and their children. Furthermore, the results suggest that low cardiorespiratory fitness and high birth weight are predictors of OV / OB in childhood.

Factors Related to the Event of Macrosomia in Infants at the Atikah Clinic for the Period of 2018-2020

Macrosomia or baby giant is a large newborn at the time of delivery of more than 4000 grams. Babies who are large for gestational age typically have swollen and red bodies. The emergence of these babies is due to several factors, the first factor is due to obese parents (heredity), the second is that pregnant women suffer from diabetes mellitus, the third factor is mothers who are overweight during pregnancy and the last factor is mothers who experience late pregnancy. time over post date. Based on the results of the initial survey, from the number of mothers giving birth as many as 76 cases, in the period 2018-2020 there were 15 cases (19.73%) experiencing macrosomia babies. The design of this research is analytic, namely the characterization technique directly through the explanation by the author and the approach, observation or data collection at the same time. Based on the results of the chi-square test, the value of p = 0.000 (p <0.05), which means that statistically it shows a significant relationship between the factor of gestational age and the occurrence of macrosomia in infants. Factors of multigravida pregnancy associated with the incidence of macrosomia in infants.