Boys who are overweight in their early teens can pass on harmful epigenetic traits to their future offspring, new research has claimed.
A first-of-its-kind study from the University of Southampton and the University of Bergen in Norway has found that children are more likely to develop obesity, asthma and low lung function if their father was overweight in his early teenage years.
As part of the trial, the team of researchers examined the epigenetic profiles of 339 people aged between seven and 51.
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Each participant self-reported their body image during adolescence, allowing the academics to assess the father’s changes in body composition.
In the children of fathers who gained weight as teenagers, the research team detected epigenetic changes in more than 2,000 sites in 1,962 genes linked with adipogenesis (formation of fat cells) and lipid (fat) metabolism, the findings have revealed.
Female children are more likely to receive harmful epigenetic traits from their fathers compared to male children, according to the results.
Lead author Dr Negusse Tadesse Kitaba said: “The overweight status of future fathers during puberty was associated with a strong signal in their children’s DNA which were also related to the likelihood of their children being overweight themselves.
“Early puberty, when boys start their developing sperm, seems to be a key window of vulnerability for lifestyle influences to drive epigenetic changes in future offspring.”
Corresponding author Professor Cecilie Svanes said: “The new findings have significant implications for public health and may be a game-changer in public health intervention strategies.
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“They suggest that a failure to address obesity in young teenagers today could damage the health of future generations, further entrenching health inequalities for decades to come.”
Fellow author Professor John Holloway concluded: “Childhood obesity is increasing globally. The results of this study demonstrate that this is a concern not only for the health of the population now but also for generations to come.”
To read the study, click here.
