Targeting the first 2,000 days of life with comprehensive strategies can significantly reduce childhood obesity, tackling a global issue with integrated, multi-behavioral solutions. Study: Early life factors that affect obesity and the need for complex solutions . Image Credit: Lemonsoup14 / Shutterstock In a recent review published in the journal Nature Reviews Endocrinology , researchers collated data from more than 175 publications to elucidate the impacts of early life factors on the subsequent development of obesity.
The review focuses on evidence from biological, sociocultural, environmental, and individual system levels and reveals that the first 2,000 days following conception play a significant role in altering future obesity risk. Crucially, the review emphasizes that these factors interact in complex ways, creating a ‘web of influences’ that varies across socio-economic and ethnic groups, making it essential to tailor prevention efforts to specific populations. Review findings highlight that inculcating obesity risk-mitigating habits in children before the establishment of obesity-risk behaviors (during adolescence and adulthood) would substantially alleviate the ongoing global excess weight pandemic.
However, traditional interventions that target behaviors in isolation have proven ineffective, particularly in disadvantaged communities. Genetics can influence obesity risk, but lifestyle factors, such as diet and physical activity, play a more significant role i.
