A study from University College London indicates that a mother’s genes play a more significant role than a father’s in determining a child’s future weight. The researchers analyzed genetic and health data from 2,621 UK families involved in the Millennium Cohort Study, focusing on the parents' BMI and birthweights of their offspring. Additionally, they examined children's diets from the ages of three to 17 through self-reported consumption rates of various food groups. Recent statistics show that over 1.6 million children started school overweight, raising concerns about future health care costs.
A mother's genes could play a role in determining a child's future weight more so than a father's. Researchers at University College London investigated how a parent's weight and genes influence their children's weight and diet.
The study, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, looked at the BMI of parents and the birthweight of their children. They also looked at the child's diet at various ages.
Children's diets were assessed through self-reported records of how often and how much they consumed different food groups, including fruit, vegetables, fast food, and sugary drinks.
More than 1.6 million children began school overweight in the past decade, leading to concerns over future costs to the health care sector.
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