Fatness and obesity of the parents of obese individuals

Article Abstract:

The question of whether there is a familial tendency towards obesity has generated much interest, but surprisingly little research has been done. The common belief that obesity runs in families is based largely on anecdotal evidence. A study was conducted to investigate the incidence of obesity in parents of obese subjects; the latter ranged in age from one to 49 years. From a group of 9,000 parent-child pairs, a subset of 1,419 case pairs and 1,368 lean control pairs was studied. Overall, there was a greater rate of obesity in parents of obese offspring than in parents of lean offspring. The chance that a parent of an obese child would be obese was 1.5 times the rate expected by chance alone. The degree of association between obesity in parent and child varied with the child's age; the greatest degree of correlation was noted during the children's adolescence. This may be attributed to the cumulative time parents and children have typically spent together. A specific causal factor behind adolescent-onset obesity has also been suggested. The link between child and parental obesity was not as strong before or after adolescence. Parents of lean offspring were more likely to be lean. The results indicate a family tendency towards either obesity or leanness. Variations in the strength of the correlation based on the child's age may be due to mechanisms which trigger the onset of obesity at different times. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Environmental aspects, Genetic aspects, Obesity, Genetics

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Short-term infusion of pancreatic polypeptide: effect on children with Prader-Willi syndrome

Article Abstract:

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a condition that involves morbid obesity beginning in childhood; other aspects are mental retardation, short stature, and hypogonadism. The cause of obesity in these children is their insatiable appetites; they will often continue to eat as long as food is available, and parents must take measures such as locking the refrigerator. PWS children may be lacking a satiation factor in the blood; scientists do not yet know what this factor's identity might be, but one possibility is pancreatic polypeptide (PP). Infusions of PP have controlled the eating behavior of rats that are obese due to a genetic trait; researchers hoped it might be effective in children with PWS as well. Ten children with PWS were admitted to a research center for appetite tests during PP infusion. PP was infused over 90 minutes. After 30 minutes of infusion, the appetite test began. Each child was presented with a plate full of sandwich quarters, and a nurse observed how quickly they were consumed. As the child finished them, the nurse placed more on the plate. This test was done both one hour after breakfast and in the morning after fasting overnight. PP infusion had no effect on appetite as compared with infusion of saline (salt water) used as a control procedure. Temporary normalization of blood PP levels in children with PWS did not reduce their excessive food intake. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Polypeptides, Appetite disorders, Prader-Willi syndrome

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Adipogenic activity in sera from obese children before and after weight reduction

Article Abstract:

Recently, researchers have discovered substances in human blood that stimulate production of body fat cells. These substances are 'adipogenic' because they cause growth of adipose (fat) tissue. A study investigated whether obese children have more adipogenic activity in their blood than normal children. No difference in the blood of the obese versus normal children was found if they followed their usual diets. After the overweight children had reduced their energy intake by 600 calories a day for three weeks, their levels of adipogenic substances were substantially lower. This suggests that childhood obesity is not linked to elevated levels of a blood factor that stimulates fat cell growth. Long-term calorie restriction appears to limit the adipogenic activity in the blood of obese children, thereby reducing growth of fat cells.

Adipose tissues, Adipose tissue, Fat cells, Adipocytes

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