Evidence that obesity runs in families? Adults are SIX TIMES more likely to become fat in middle age if their parents were

A study shows that middle-aged adults are six times more likely to become obese if both parents were alive at the same time.

Growing evidence shows that children of obese parents are likely to follow the same path and grow up overweight themselves.

But until now, research had not examined whether this trait – thought to be caused by both the environment and genetics – persisted well into adulthood.

Analysis of height and weight data from more than 2,000 people showed a strong link between the body mass index (BMI) of parents between the ages of 40 and 59, and that of their children at the same age.

Experts found that even one obese parent tripled the risk compared to those whose parents were a healthy weight.

Mari Mikkelsen, from the University of Tromsø, Norway, said: ‘Genes play an important role in influencing our susceptibility to weight gain and influencing how we respond to obesogenic environments where it can be easy to eat unhealthy foods.

‘Some research also speculates that children tend to develop similar dietary and exercise habits as their parents when they all live together under the same roof, resulting in similar BMI status.

‘Obesity in childhood, and especially in adolescence, tends to follow the individual into early adulthood and therefore we suspected that this would also continue into middle age.

‘We found that this is indeed the case: children whose parents lived with obesity are much more likely to live with obesity themselves in their 40s and 50s, long after they leave home.’

When both parents were obese in middle age, their children were six times more likely to be living with obesity themselves in middle age than adults with both parents in the normal weight range.

If only the mother lived with obesity, the child had 3.44 times higher odds of living with obesity, and 3.74 times higher odds if only the father was obese, according to the study presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Venice, Italy.

Researchers admitted that it could not be determined whether this was the result of ‘fat’ genes, the environment or a combination of the two.

Ms Mikkelsen added: ‘Whatever the explanation, our finding that intergenerational obesity can persist well into adulthood underlines the importance of treating and preventing obesity, a condition that contributes significantly to obesity. to poor health and premature death.

‘It also lays the foundation for research into factors that influence the intergenerational transmission of obesity and that can be targeted to prevent offspring from suffering from obesity throughout their lives.’

WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?

Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, preferably whole grains, according to the NHS

• Eat at least 5 portions of varied fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count

• Basic meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, preferably whole wheat

• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 whole-grain cereal cookies, 2 thick slices of whole-grain bread, and a large baked potato with the skin still on

• Provide some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks), opting for lower fat and lower sugar options

• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish per week, one portion of which is fatty)

• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small quantities

• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water per day

• Adults should have less than 6 g of salt and 20 g of saturated fat for women or 30 g for men per day

Source: NHS Eatwell Guide