Recent data have shown that 20% of children aged 6 to 17 were overweight, including 5.4% who were obese, in France in 2017. It is important to note that children are affected from a very young age, even before the age of 5. This high prevalence of overweight (including obesity) in young children suggests the presence of risk factors that operate very early in life. The period of the "1000 first days", from conception to the child's second birthday, appears to be a unique window of opportunity to implement obesity prevention strategies and increase the benefit for the child's overall future health.
To date, several scientific studies have shown that factors such as poor maternal diet quality, sedentary behavior, or tobacco use during pregnancy are risk factors for later overweight in the child. Some studies have also reported that the father's high body mass index is a risk factor for overweight in the child in the long term, but few data are still available. Finally, other studies report that an early age of dietary diversification and sedentary behavior in the child in the first years of life are also risk factors for overweight in the long term.
However, the majority of these data have evaluated the role of factors by considering them in isolation, but few studies have used an approach that takes into account the overall family lifestyle.
Based on the data from the EDEN study, the objective was to identify profiles related to the lifestyle of parents before and during pregnancy (including the weight status of the parents, weight gain during pregnancy, tobacco use, diet, or physical activity) and to assess whether these profiles were associated with an increased risk of overweight and obesity in children between the ages of 5 and 12.
The first results of this project showed that profiles characterized by high weight status of both parents, poor diet quality, low level of physical activity, or sedentary behavior were associated with an increased risk of overweight and obesity in children between 5 and 12 years of age.
Our work provides new evidence on the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle from the pre-conception period and during pregnancy to prevent the future risk of obesity in children. Healthcare professionals will play a key role in supporting families in a personalized way and encouraging them to do so.
The period of the 1000 first days is a time when parents are asking new questions and during which it will be important to reassure and support them. In addition, we also see that social health inequalities have strengthened in recent years in France. These appear from a very young age, even before birth, with differences in prenatal care and risky behaviors for the future health of the unborn child.
Our goal is to subsequently study the social determinants associated with the health behaviors of families, including socioeconomic factors, contextual factors such as the urban environment or access to care. This work will identify potential levers to be taken into account for the development and implementation of obesity prevention strategies, including for example the creation of healthy urban living environments, ensuring access to healthcare, or promoting access to a varied and balanced diet.
This project is also being carried out as part of a broader European collaboration called EndObesity, which has allowed us to validate our conclusions in other countries such as the Netherlands and Ireland.
Authors: Marion Lecorguillé et al.
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