Tracing Obesity From Parents to Adult Offspring: The Tromsø Study 1994-2016.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Genetics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Intergenerational transmission of obesity is influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
• Previous research focused on parent-child and adolescent obesity, with limited studies in adulthood.
• Understanding adult familial obesity patterns is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate sex-specific associations in body mass index (BMI) and obesity status between parents and their adult offspring.
• To determine if familial obesity patterns observed in younger populations persist into middle adulthood.
• To explore the strength of these associations based on parental obesity status and sex.

Main Methods:

• Utilized cross-sectional data from the population-based Tromsø Study (Tromsø7 and Tromsø4 surveys).
• Linked adult offspring (aged 40-59) to their parents using survey data.
• Employed linear mixed models and generalized estimating equations, adjusting for covariates and sibling clusters.

Main Results:

• Confirmed strong associations between parents' and adult offspring's BMI and obesity status.
• Offspring with two obese parents had a threefold higher risk of obesity compared to those with normal-weight parents.
• Observed stronger mother-daughter obesity associations than mother-son associations.

Conclusions:

• Familial transmission of obesity extends into middle adulthood, confirming persistence across generations.
• Parental obesity status significantly impacts offspring obesity risk in adulthood.
• Sex-specific differences in familial obesity transmission warrant further investigation.