Babies born to obese mothers may face an increased risk of dying early from heart problems in their adult life, according to research published late Tuesday that paints an alarming picture of the future as obesity-related disease is handed down from one generation to the next.

The comprehensive study looked at nearly 30,000 women who gave birth in Aberdeen between 1950 and 1976 and who were weighed and measured in early pregnancy. When the researchers then searched for death certificates among the nearly 38,000 children – by then aged 34 to 61 – they found that those whose mothers had been obese had a 35% higher chance of dying as a result of cardiovascular disease than the children of normal-weight mothers. Health records showed that they also had a 42% higher risk of being treated in hospital for heart problems.

Experts called for more effort to educate young women who might become pregnant about good eating habits and exercise as the implications of the study became clear. One in five pregnant women today is obese. If the researchers are right, the UK could face a huge rise in heart disease and early deaths as the children of these obese mothers hit middle age.

Obese mothers’ babies face bigger risk of early death, says report | Society | The Guardian