274834 Early-life Programming of Diabetes and Obesity: The Dual Burden of Undernutrition and Overnutrition

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 9:10 AM - 9:30 AM

Jonathan Q. Purnell, MD , The Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
Obesity and diabetes are complex diseases strongly linked both epidemiologically and pathophysiologically. Heritability of both diseases is high and environmental contributors to early and more severe disease expression have been identified, including activity and dietary factors beginning in childhood. However, fetal exposure in the “maternal environment” to an altered metabolic milieu and maternal diet is now recognized as a potent risk for obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome during the lifespan. Both maternal undernutrition and small birthweight as well as maternal obesity (overnutrition) and high birth weight are identified risk factors for chronic adult diseases such as obesity and diabetes in the offspring, and recent data from animal studies highlight the independent effects of obesigenic diets on fetal programming risk. Promising early results from weight loss studies point to the benefits of improving maternal metabolic health and diet on the trajectory of risk for chronic adult diseases in their children and provide a foundation for developing guidelines for maternal nutrition to help combat a looming health care crisis.

Learning Areas:
Basic medical science applied in public health
Chronic disease management and prevention
Epidemiology
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Identify the epidemiological and pathophysiological links between obesity and diabetes. Describe the maternal metabolic factors thought to contribute to increased risk of chronic diseases across the lifetime of their children. Describe the role of maternal under and overnutrition in the increased risk of obesity and diabetes in their offspring. Identify the independent role of maternal diet on fetal programming. Describe recent studies of the effect of maternal weight loss on childhood risk of weight gain

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple federally funded grants focusing on the causes and consequences of obesity and diabetes, and the role that nutrition plays in the expression of these diseases. Among my scientific interests has been the role that maternal nutrition plays in the developmental origins of adult diseases.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.