Not Only Food, Descendants Also Affect The Risk Of Obesity At A Young Age

Illustration (Moe Magners/Pexels)

JAKARTA - The results of a Norwegian study show the influence of heredity factors on the risk of obesity in middle age or middle age, age around 40 to 60 years. According to the study, people whose parents are obese at middle age six times are more likely to be obese in the same phase of life and the risk of obesity triples if one parent experiences this condition.

Lead researcher Mari Mikkelsen said previous research showed a strong relationship between the obesity status of parents and children, but little study investigated whether intergenerational obesity transmission continued after adolescence and entered adulthood.

"We are interested in how the IMT (body mass index) of parents is related to the IMT of its descendants when the offspring are adults and have lived far from home for a long time," he said as quoted in the Medical Daily broadcast. The research team used data from TromsTUal Studies, an ongoing population-based health study.

This study involved 2,068 groups, each consisting of their parents and descendants. Study participants include people aged between 40 and 59 (middle age) during the seventh wave of Troms Study from 2015-2016 and their parents also participated in Troms Study in the fourth wave of 1994-1995 when they were in the same age range.

A high and weight analysis shows a strong relationship between the IMT of parents during the middle age and the IMT of their descendants at the same age. The IMT of descent increased by 0.8 units for each 4-unit increase in the mother's IMT and 0.74 units for each 3.1-unit increase in the father's IMT.

Researchers also pay attention to the significant relationship between the obesity status of parents at middle age and the obesity status of offspring at the same age. A press release regarding the results of the study stated that when parents are obese (IMT Laughs 30 kg/m2) at middle age, their offspring are six times more likely to become obese at the same age compared to adults whose parents both parents have normal weight (IMT 18.5 24.9 kg/m2).

Opportunities also increase when only one parent is obese. When only mothers experience obesity, offspring have a 3.44 times greater chance of developing obesity. While the appropriate figure for fathers is 3.74. According to the researchers' explanation, several factors can contribute to the same obesity status between parents and their children. Although genes can be one of the possibilities, several studies show that children tend to adopt eating and exercise habits from their parents, especially when living together, so that the status of IMT becomes similar.

"It cannot be determined from our analysis whether this is due to genes or environment, but most likely a combination of both," the researchers said.

"Whatever the explanation, our finding that intergenerationally transmitted obesity can survive to adulthood emphasizes the importance of dealing with and preventing obesity, a condition that contributes significantly to poor health and premature mortality," they added.

The study provides the basis for research on factors that affect the transmission of intergenerational obesity and that can be targeted to prevent heredity from facing the impact of obesity. The findings of research on transmission of intergenerational obesity will be published in the European Congress on Obesity 2024 which will be held in Venice from May 12 to 15.