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Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
A two-year study of parental obesity status and childhood obesity in China
R Y Xu1, Y Q Zhou2, X M Zhang2
1Department of Clinical Nutrition, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, China.
Insights
Maternal obesity, not paternal, is linked to increased body fat in Chinese children. This highlights the importance of maternal weight in childhood obesity prevention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing global concern.
- Parental obesity is a significant risk factor for childhood obesity.
- Understanding the specific parental influence (maternal vs. paternal) is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between parental obesity and children's obesity parameters over time.
- To analyze the impact of maternal and paternal obesity on children's body fat percentage (PBF), BMI, and waist circumference (WC).
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study of 2066 Chinese parent-child trios (children aged 6-14 years).
- Annual assessments of children's height, weight, WC, and PBF (bioelectrical impedance analysis) from 2014 to 2016.
- Mixed-effects models used to analyze the association between parental obesity and changes in children's PBF, BMI, and WC.
Main Results:
- Maternal obesity, but not paternal, was significantly associated with a greater annual increase in children's PBF (0.41% difference).
- Both maternal and paternal obesity were linked to increased children's BMI and WC, with stronger associations observed in mother-child pairs.
- Baseline mean BMI, WC, and PBF for children were 17.6 kg/m², 60.5 cm, and 16.6%, respectively.
Conclusions:
- Maternal obesity is a key factor associated with increased body fat percentage in Chinese school-aged children.
- Parental obesity influences children's weight gain, with maternal weight having a more pronounced effect on body fat accumulation.
- Findings emphasize the need for maternal weight management strategies to prevent childhood obesity.
Background And Aims:
We evaluated the association between parental obesity and their children's obesity parameters [e.g., percentage of body fat (PBF)] over time.
Methods And Results:
The study included 2066 Chinese parents-children trios (n = 1001 girls and 1065 boys, aged 6-14 years). Children's height, weight, waist circumference (WC) and PBF (bioelectrical impedance analysis) were annually assessed from 2014 (baseline) to 2016. Information on parental height and body weight, and children's diet and physical activity was collected in 2014. The association between parental obesity and changes in their children's PBF during follow-up was analyzed using a mixed effects model. We also examined changes in children's BMI and WC in secondary analyses. Baseline mean BMI, WC, and PBF for children were 17.6 ± 3.5 kg/m2, 60.5 ± 9.6 cm, and 16.6 ± 6.5%, respectively. We observed that maternal, but not paternal, obesity was associated with a greater increase in children's PBF during the follow-up. An adjusted mean difference in annual increase of PBF was 0.41% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.01%, 0.84%] for children with obese mothers, compared with those with normal-weight mothers. Both maternal and paternal obesity was associated with a greater increase in their children's BMI and WC (p trend<0.01 for both); however, the associations were stronger in mother-children pairs than those in father-children pairs.
Conclusions:
Maternal obesity was associated with a greater increase in PBF in Chinese school-aged children.
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