Is obesity hereditary? Adults are SIX TIMES more likely to be obese in middle age if their parents were

Middle-aged adults are six times more likely to be obese if both parents were obese at the same time in life, a study suggests.

There is growing evidence to show that children of obese parents are likely to follow the same path and grow up overweight.

But until now, research had not tracked whether this trait – which is thought to depend on both environment and genetics – persisted into adulthood.

Analysis of height and weight data from more than 2,000 people showed a strong link between the body mass index (BMI) of parents when they were between 40 and 59 years old and that of their children of the same age.

Experts found that even an obese parent tripled the risk compared to those whose parents were at a healthy weight.

Mari Mikkelsen, from the University of Tromsø, Norway, said: “Genes play an important role in affecting our susceptibility to weight gain and influencing how we respond to obesogenic environments where it can be easy to eat unhealthy.”

“Some studies also speculate that children tend to develop similar dietary and exercise habits to their parents when they all live together under the same roof, resulting in similar BMIs.

“Obesity in childhood, and especially in adolescence, tends to follow the individual into early adulthood, so we suspect it would also follow them into middle age.

“We found that this is indeed the case: children whose parents lived with obesity are much more likely to live with obesity when they are in their 40s and 50s, long after they have left home.”

When both parents were obese in midlife, their children were six times more likely to live with obesity in midlife than adults with both parents in the normal weight range.

When only the mother was living with obesity, the child was 3.44 times more likely to live with obesity, and 3.74 times more likely if only the father was obese, according to research to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Venice , Italy.

The researchers admitted that it could not be established whether this was the result of “fat” genes, the environment or a combination of both.

Ms Mikkelsen added: “Whatever the explanation, our finding that obesity that is transmitted between generations can persist into adulthood underlines the importance of treating and preventing obesity, a condition that contributes significantly to poor health and premature death.”

“It also lays the foundation for research into factors that influence the intergenerational transmission of obesity and that can be addressed to prevent offspring from spending their entire lives affected by obesity.”

WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?

Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains, according to the NHS.

• Eat at least 5 servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried, and canned fruits and vegetables count

• Base meals are based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains.

• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is equivalent to eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 whole grain crackers, 2 thick slices of whole wheat bread, and one large baked potato with skin.

• Eat some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks) by choosing low-fat, low-sugar options.

• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish each week, one of which should be fatty)

• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small quantities

• Drink 6 to 8 cups/glasses of water a day

• Adults should consume less than 6 g of salt and 20 g of saturated fat for women or 30 g for men per day.

Fountain: NHS Eatwell Guide