Preventing child obesity in the next generation must start before conception

The key to preventing obesity in future generations is to make their parents healthier before they conceive, leading health researchers suggest.

In a series of papers, published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, the researchers say that the time before couples conceive represents a missed opportunity to prevent the transmission of obesity risk from one generation to the next. They argue that a new approach is needed to motivate future parents to live a healthier lifestyle.

There is now a wealth of evidence that the risk of obesity and its associated conditions, such as heart disease diabetes and some cancers, could impact the developing baby. In turn, when the child becomes a young adult they may pass the risk of obesity on to their children - it is a vicious cycle.

The nature of this problem is not adequately appreciated. Many young people, whilst appearing outwardly healthy, are nonetheless on a risky path to obesity and chronic disease and more likely to pass this risk to their children, the researchers warn. Many pregnancies are unplanned, and the special needs of adolescents and young people at this important time are not sufficiently recognised. Far from helping them to prepare and plan for pregnancy and parenthood, many public health programmes assume that their needs are similar to the general population and require no special measures or provisions.

In a comment piece accompanying the research papers, Professor Mark Hanson of the University of Southampton, says an entirely new approach is needed that engages parents-to-be and encourages them to be part of the solution.

"The approach needed is both top-down and bottom-up, but even more importantly requires something in between which young people can help to create themselves," Professor Hanson writes.

"If at present many young people do not seem to care about their health or view it as a low priority, perhaps they have not been given clear information about what they can do to optimise their health for themselves and their children. All societies owe their adolescents the chance to make their future healthier. Additionally, the political leaders who have committed to the new Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health must give adolescent health priority in national health strategies, plans, and budgets. Only these actions will enable the transformation required."

The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology series on Maternal Obesity was launched at the Power of Programming 2016 conference in Munich today (13 October).

Each of the four papers in the Series tackles a different aspect of the challenge. The first paper (Poston et al.) explores trends in the global prevalence of obesity among women and the adverse consequences for their reproductive health and the outcome of their pregnancy, especially in those countries least able to accommodate associated health-care costs. The authors call for larger studies to determine the scale of complications in these countries, which may not be prepared to manage the increasing burden on healthcare resources, and for an international drive to reduce obesity in women of reproductive age.