Obesity ‘can have negative health impact on a person’s grandchildren’

Being obese can have negative health consequences that can be passed down through multiple generations of a person's family.

This is according to new research from Australia's Garvan Institute of Medical Research, which found that male mice that are obese when they conceive are elevating their children and grandchildren's risk of developing metabolic disease.

Prior to this, it was established that the health of a mother during pregnancy can affect the wellbeing of the child, but this is the first study to suggest that the father's physical fitness can have such long-lasting consequences.

This predisposition to metabolic disorders was shown to be transmitted to the grandsons even if their fathers ate well and were metabolically healthy at the time of conception, showing poor diets can have a lasting legacy.

However, when the study was extended to include great-grandsons, it was shown that the metabolic health of this generation was significantly improved.

Associate professor Catherine Suter from the Victor Chang Institute said: "It's crucial to note that this predisposition isn't genetic; instead, it's acquired. That means the damage can be undone and is ultimately reversible."