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Genetics, physiology and perinatal influences in childhood obesity: view from the Chair

International Journal of Obesity volume 33, pages S41–S47 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The current epidemic of childhood obesity will be a serious threat to population health for at least the next several decades. The biology of childhood obesity was the theme of an international symposium held in November 2007. Speakers discussed monogenic causes of obesity, prenatal epigenetic programing, neurobehavioral aspects of obesity, and hormonal and neuroendocrine abnormalities, and the insights provided by non-murine models for understanding the biology of early-onset obesity. Several new developments have been reported in white and brown adipose tissue biology. They are summarized briefly in this review and include observations about cell lineage of adipocytes, the renewal of adipocytes throughout life and the numerous factors that influence adipocyte fatty acid release. The biological underpinnings of childhood obesity are multiple and complex.

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  1. Medical Genetics Division, Department of Pediatrics, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

    G A Mitchell

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Mitchell, G. Genetics, physiology and perinatal influences in childhood obesity: view from the Chair. Int J Obes 33 (Suppl 1), S41–S47 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.16

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