Fat Mass of Mothers and Their Daughters Strongly Linked

FRIDAY, March 31, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- There is a strong association between the fat mass of mothers and their daughters, according to a study published online March 21 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Rebecca J. Moon, Ph.D., from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, and colleagues examined mother-offspring and father-offspring associations in body composition in early childhood among 240 mother-father-offspring trios from a prospective prebirth cohort. Anthropometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry assessment of whole-body-less-head body composition was assessed in offspring at ages 4, 6 to 7, and 8 to 9 years and in the mother and father at the 8- to 9-year offspring visit.

The researchers identified positive associations between mother-daughter body mass index (BMI) and fat mass at ages 6 to 7 and 8 to 9 years, with similar associations seen at age 4 years, bounding the 95 percent confidence intervals. At each of the ages studied, mother-son, father-son, and father-daughter associations for BMI and fat mass were weaker.

"Further studies are needed to understand why this is happening, but our findings suggest that approaches to addressing body weight and composition should start very early in life, particularly in girls born to mothers with obesity and overweight," Moon said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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