Topic 3 Risk factors
Obesity is a chronic condition that results from an interconnection between genetic and environmental factors.
- PRENATAL AND EARLY CHILDHOOD RISK FACTORS
- COMMON RISK FACTORS
- SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACILITATORS
PRENATAL AND EARLY CHILDHOOD RISK FACTORS
- Maternal BMI: if kept within the normal range in the period prior to gestation can prevent the pathology in the child
- Cigarette smoking and the incorrect use of antibiotics: associated with a higher adiposity of the child at birth, which is associated with a higher BMI from 2 to 6 years of life.
- A high birth weight
- Absence of breastfeeding
- High intake of simple sugars
- Insufficient duration of sleep
Larqué et al., “From conception to infancy — early risk factors for childhood obesity,” Nat. Rev. Endocrinol., vol. 15, no. 8, pp. 456–478, 2019
5 key messages for clinicians:
- Strive for a healthy weight before pregnancy.
- Don’t smoke during pregnancy.
- Aim for a reasonable weight gain during pregnancy.
- Breastfeed (preferably without other liquids for 4-6 months and some breastfeeding for at least 12 months).
- Ensure infants get adequate sleep during the first few years of life.
COMMON RISK FACTORS
- Poor diet
- Sedentary lifestyle
SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACILITATORS
- Socioeconomic adversity (maternal intimate partner violence, child maltreatment and neglect, maternal depression and maternal drug use, financial hardship)
- Offspring stress
- Emotional turmoil
The individual will naturally seek relief from these uncomfortable states through the brain-reward system
S. Weihrauch-Blüher and S. Wiegand, “Risk Factors and Implications of Childhood Obesity,” Curr. Obes. Rep., vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 254–259, 2018