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ShareJan. 10, 2013 — A disposition for overweight is shaped even before birth, according to a study by scientists of the Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The study, published in the online journal PLOS ONE, reveals that children with a birth weight of more than 4,000 grams are twice as much at risk of becoming overweight in later life than those with normal birth weight.
The results of the study show that the lifestyle of the mother-to-be has a substantial impact on the lifelong risk of overweight. Prof. Andreas Plagemann from the Charité Department of Obstetrics headed the study. He explains: "Even more than before, the course of pregnancy is proving to be the key factor for the health of the child for its whole life."
Overweight, overnutrition, lack of exercise and the resulting metabolic disorders during pregnancy may lead to a high birth weight. In order to investigate the relationship between the individual birth weight and the risk of overweight in later life, Prof. Plagemann's research team evaluated 66 studies that have been conducted for this purpose. Data from a total of over 640,000 probands up to 75 years in age from 26 countries and 5 continents were included.
The increase in overweight and obesity now existing in broad sections of the population is one of the biggest health-related problems worldwide, including Germany. More than half of the adult population are now overweight, while 15 percent of children and young people are already affected. A large number of problems in the areas of medical care as well as social and health economics are the consequences of this. For example, overweight is one of the major risk factors for diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer, musculoskeletal disorders as well as mental problems.
"The new findings show that preventing overweight for the whole of later life is already possible before birth," Prof. Plagemann stresses.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, via AlphaGalileo.
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Journal Reference:
- Karen Schellong, Sandra Schulz, Thomas Harder, Andreas Plagemann. Birth Weight and Long-Term Overweight Risk: Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis Including 643,902 Persons from 66 Studies and 26 Countries Globally. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (10): e47776 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047776
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
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