Research
Mixed
Prenatal exposure to famine during early and mid-gestation is associated with a doubling of the prevalence of obesity in adulthood.
For individuals with a history of prenatal famine exposure, adult obesity risk may be biologically programmed during early development. This suggests that standard weight loss interventions might face higher resistance due to altered metabolic set points established in utero.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
exposure to famine in early and mid-gestation was associated with a doubling of the then low prevalence of obesity.
Why this rating
Based on large national conscription records (400,000 men), though limited to men.
Source
Cohort Profile: The Dutch Hunger Winter Families Study
L. H. Lumey et al. · International Journal of Epidemiology · 2007
DOI 10.1093/ije/dym126
cohort · n=3307Cited 380×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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