Effects of neonatal programming on hypothalamic mechanisms controlling energy balance

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in most developed countries has markedly increased during the last decades. In addition to genetic, hormonal, and metabolic influences, environmental factors like fetal and neonatal nutrition play key roles in the development of obesity. Interestingly, overweight during critical developmental periods of fetal and/or neonatal life has been demonstrated to increase the risk of obesity throughout juvenile life into adulthood. In spite of this evidence, the specific mechanisms underlying this fetal/neonatal programming are not perfectly understood. However, it is clear that circulating hormones such as insulin and leptin play a critical role in the development and programming of hypothalamic circuits regulating energy balance. Here, we review what is currently known about the impact of perinatal malnutrition on the mechanisms regulating body weight homeostasis. Understanding these molecular mechanisms may provide new targets for the treatment of obesity.