Obviously, bariatric surgery can help the obese lose large amounts of weight, thus improving their health and often their self-image. New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and covered by USA Today indicates that when a woman undergoes such surgery and loses weight, children she has later may benefit as well.
Researchers, led by Dr. Marie-Claude Vohl of Laval University in Quebec City, compared the weights of children born to 20 women before and after they had undergone obesity surgery. They found that the children born post-surgery were slimmer than their older siblings born before the surgery.
The investigators then examined the activity of numerous genes known to be linked to obesity-related health problems, and found that there were differences in activities between the kids born pre-and post-surgery.
To be clear: The genes themselves (that is the actual DNA sequences) were not different. What changed was the way the genes operate a so-called epigenetic change. In essence, the apparently different environments in the uterus pre- as opposed to post-surgery, affected the behavior of genes that control obesity genes. It s as though a dimmer switch were turned up or down.
Levels of fat, sugar and hormones in the mothers blood cross the placenta and have an effect on the babies gene activity. The current study examined chemical tags in the children s blood that indicate how active particular genes are. There were significant differences seen in the genes in pathways that affect blood sugar metabolism and risk of heart disease in pre- and post-surgery siblings.
ACSH s Dr. Ruth Kava comments, Although this is a small study, it strongly suggests that obesity during pregnancy can have deleterious effects on children s future health and wellness. While one might have thought that the mothers eating behavior after surgery would change and thus affect her kids food choices, this study indicates that the situation is much more complex. It is important for women to recognize the significance of controlling body weight and weight gain during gestation.