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The genetic and environmental influences on childhood obesity: a systematic review of twin and adoption studies

International Journal of Obesity volume 34, pages 29–40 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

In this systematic review, we aimed to collect together all previous twin and adoption studies on childhood and adolescent obesity up to the age of 18 years. Using several sources, we identified nine twin and five adoption studies; all of these studies had used relative weight as an indicator of obesity. Except the two twin studies from the Korean population, all studies represented Caucasian populations. In a meta-analysis of these twin studies, we found that genetic factors had a strong effect on the variation of body mass index (BMI) at all ages. The common environmental factors showed a substantial effect in mid-childhood, but this effect disappeared at adolescence. Adoption studies supported the role of family environment in childhood obesity as correlations were found between adoptees and adoptive parents; however, correlations were substantially stronger between parents and their biological offspring, further supporting the importance of genetic factors. In the future, more studies implementing genetic and environmental measures into twin models are needed as they allow estimation of the proportion of total genetic variation explained by candidate genes and analyses of gene–environment interactions. More studies of genetic architecture in non-Caucasian populations, of gene–environment interactions, and of body composition and body fat distribution are needed.

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Acknowledgements

This work pertained to the research in DIOGENES (http://www.diogenes-eu.org/) and in DanORC (http://www.danorc.dk/). KS and JK work in the Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence in Complex Disease Genetics.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Population Research Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    K Silventoinen

  2. Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    K Silventoinen & J Kaprio,

  3. Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Centre for Health and Society, Copenhagen, Denmark

    B Rokholm & T I A Sørensen

  4. Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

    J Kaprio,

  5. Institute for Molecular Medicine FIMM, Helsinki, Finland

    J Kaprio,

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  1. K Silventoinen
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  2. B Rokholm
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  4. T I A Sørensen
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Correspondence to K Silventoinen.

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Silventoinen, K., Rokholm, B., Kaprio,, J. et al. The genetic and environmental influences on childhood obesity: a systematic review of twin and adoption studies. Int J Obes 34, 29–40 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.177

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.177

Keywords

  • childhood obesity
  • BMI
  • genetics
  • twins
  • adoption studies

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