Fit or flabby future

Jan 29 2008 by Audrey Barton, The Journal

A NORTH-EAST growth study is for the first time aiming to find out whether there is a genetic link with obesity.

The Gateshead Millennium Study is following more than 1,000 babies through life to track how they grow and what influences their shape and size.

The information will be used to try to get a better understanding of how diet in the early years affects growth later in life. The subject has become more important as obesity levels accelerate, bringing a national problem.

As the children are now approaching the age of eight, the study has extended its research to look at their DNA and how that may be affected by environmental factors such as diet.

The Newcastle University project, which has taken saliva samples from the children to test their DNA, is being funded by North-East charity the Children’s Foundation.

Dr Caroline Relton, university lecturer in genetic epidemiology, said: “Obesity is a major problem that is greater in the North-East than other parts of the country.

“Diet can alter the way genes are expressed. The effects of that are that appetite regulator can be affected, increasing appetite or metabolism could slow down. We are looking at a genetic level of how what we do in early life can influence health risks later in life.”

The maternal diet consumed while the baby is still in the womb and also what a child eats during the first year of its life could determine gene expression – potentially affecting a child’s shape and size.

“We can look at how the DNA relates to early feeding behaviours such as whether the children were picky eaters, breast or bottle fed,” said Dr Relton.

“We have moved on in terms of genetics as there isn’t so much scaremongering. There is a whole new world out there which is potentially easier to comprehend.”

The Gateshead Millennium Study began in 2000 with 1,029 babies and gathered detailed information from the babies’ births and early years about their family background, health, feeding patterns and growth.

The team contacted the original participants at the age of five to continue with the study and now has been in touch with more than 600 of the children who are aged seven and eight. The project, which also includes researchers from Durham and Glasgow universities, will use the findings to help families in Gateshead and throughout the UK follow a healthy lifestyle.

Study lead and senior lecturer in public health nutrition, Dr Ashley Adamson, said: “The huge advantage of this study is that we already have detailed information about the children from the time they were born and in the early years of their lives which will inform the research we are doing now.

“Our main goal is to build a picture of the pattern children take in terms of development. We know how they started in life – now we want to examine questions such as how do different body shapes develop, and why is it that some children gain more weight than others?

“It is fantastic that Gateshead was the focus of this work early on looking at how babies grow and children develop at a time when it is such a big issue. Obesity and child health are absolutely fundamental in terms of adult disease. This is very exciting.”

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Factfile

AN increasing number of children in the UK are becoming obese, triggering a modern epidemic.

Around 27% of children are now overweight and research suggests the main problem is a continual reduction in the amount of exercise children take.

Many overweight children have overweight parents – it’s often a matter of family lifestyles.

Obesity is most commonly caused by two factors – an unhealthy diet and not doing enough exercise to burn off the calories consumed.

If you’re worried your child is overweight, talk to your doctor and ask for help from a dietician.

Make long-term changes to healthy eating for all the family, and get your child involved in sport or exercise.

Aim to increase your child’s intake of fresh fruit and vegetables to meet the recommended five portions a day and reduce fat intake.

Try to find healthy snacks they like, and sit down together at least once a day for a balanced meal.