Impact of childhood experience of famine on body composition: DEX and beyond

Abstract

Evidence has shown that growth patterns in early life are associated with the diseases risk in adulthood. This reflects the concept of programming in which environmental factors generate long-lasting variability in phenotype for individual to adapt to an adverse environment. Low birth weight (BW) and poor growth rate are associated with obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in later life. Animal and epidemiological studies have linked BW and growth rate with the changes in body composition. Prenatal and early postnatal undernutrition can affect fat distribution, reduced bone mineral content, and muscle mass in later life in animals. Individuals who were exposed to the Dutch Famine, the Great Leap Famine in China, World War II, or Nazi occupation have a higher body weight, poor grip strength, and physical performance, and/or poor bone density and higher risk of osteoporosis. Epidemiological studies also show that infants with lower BWor poor growth rate were associated with changes in body composition. Recent animal studies, however, demonstrate that this developmental programming is potentially reversible. Nevertheless with the current evidence, appropriate dietary advice can be given to promote optimal fetal and infant growth and lower diseases risk in the offspring in later life.