What is it about?
This the first human study to reveal the biological mechanism behind the impact of fathers’ early teenage obesity on their children. We investigated the epigenetic profiles of 339 people, aged 7 to 51. We assessed the father’s changes in body composition across adolescence using self-reported body image as a proxy for body fat composition. We identified epigenetic changes in over 2,000 sites in 1,962 genes linked with adipogenesis (formation of fat cells) and lipid (fat) metabolism in the DNA of children of fathers who gained weight as teenagers. These changes in the way DNA is packaged in cells (methylation) regulate gene expression (switching them on and off) and are associated with asthma, obesity and lung function. The effect was more pronounced in female children than male children, with different genes involved.
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Photo by Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash
Why is it important?
These findings have significant implications for public health as they suggest that a failure to address obesity in young teenagers today could damage the health of future generations, further entrenching health inequalities for decades to come.
Perspectives
Childhood obesity is increasing globally. The results of this study demonstrate that this is a concern not only for the health of the population now but also for generations to come.
Prof. John W Holloway
University of Southampton
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Father’s adolescent body silhouette is associated with offspring asthma, lung function and BMI through DNA methylation, Communications Biology, May 2025, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-08121-9.
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