Familial clustering of obesity and the role of nutrition (Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study)

Children with two obese parents have a higher risk of obesity than those with one or neither parent obese. This study was conducted to clarify the hypothesis that parents’ dietary intakes are associated with their offspring’s body mass index. This is an analytical cross-sectional study among inhabitants of district-13 in the east of Tehran. A total of 117 healthy families comprising 474 subjects with 240 offspring (3-25 years old) were studied. Weight and height were measured by a standard protocol and body mass index (kg/m2) was calculated. Dietary intakes were assessed by means of a two-day dietary recall questionnaire. The prevalence of overweight was 11.8% in offspring of normal weight parents, 19.0% in offspring of overweight fathers and normal weight mothers, 25.4% in offspring of overweight mothers and normal weight fathers and 40.8% in offspring with both parents overweight. The offspring’s overweight was significantly and independently associated with high energy intake of both parents (odds ratio= 2.7 95%CI: 1.6-4.5). Adjusted for the sex of parents, the chances of offspring being overweight were higher in overweight (OR= 3.8 95%CI: 1.5-9.2) and high energy intake mothers (OR= 2.6 95%CI: 1.2-5.6) and high energy intake fathers (OR= 2.0 95%CI: 1.1-3.9) as compared to children of normal parents. High fat intake of husbands was an independent risk factor, increasing the chances of their wives being overweight (OR= 2.1 95%CI: 1.5-3.6) and vice versa (OR= 1.8 95%CI: 1.2-2.8). The observed familial obesity pattern was shown to be associated with the familial dietary intakes. Hence, familial intervention seems essential to stop the accelerated rise in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in our community.