Parental BMI and risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes predict obesity risk in offspring: Study

Preventing overweight and obesity in children is of utmost importance. Considering that parental characteristics play a decisive role in shaping weight status in offspring, Dimitra-Irinna Vitoratou and colleagues aimed to determine associations between parental obesity and children's overweight and obesity. They also determined whether other parental risk factors for type 2 diabetes can predict obesity in children.

For this purpose, the researchers used cross-sectional data from a European cohort comprising 20,151 adults ( 9,184 fathers and 10,967 mothers) and children (n=10,967) who participated in the Feel4Diabetes study. Anthropometric measurements were conducted in children, and obesity/overweight was determined according to the IOTF criteria. Type 2 diabetes risk in patients was assessed by applying FINDRISC.

The study led to the following findings:

• Following adjustment for all other FINDRISC variables, region, and maternal/parental education, maternal [ORadj: 2.64] and parental [ORadj: 3.21] obesity, maternal [ORadj: 1.46] and parental [ORadj: 1.59] high waist circumference (WC) as well as maternal [ORadj: 1.60] and parental [ORadj: 1.87] high FINDRISC score, were associated with child overweight/obesity.
• Maternal [AUC-ROC: 0.638] and paternal BMI [AUC-ROC: 0.632] were the most accurate in predicting child overweight/obesity.

"Among parental risk factors for type 2 diabetes, central obesity, maternal and parental overweight or obesity, and high FINDRISC score were the main predictors of childhood overweight/obesity, with BMI being the most accurate," the authors concluded.

"Since maternal or paternal BMI is simple to use, rather than other T2D risk factors; it might be useful for the early recognition of children at risk of obesity and overweight," they added.

Reference:

The study titled "Do parental risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes predict offspring's risk of overweight and obesity? The Feel4Diabetes study" was published in the journal Nutrition.