Parental influence on the development of obesity in 9-year-old Japanese children: the Toyama birth cohort study

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To examine parental influence on the development of obesity in 9-year-old Japanese children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A 6-year follow-up study of obesity among 6,102 children born in Toyama prefecture.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After adjusting for obesity at age 3, either paternal obesity or maternal obesity at the age 3 survey more than double the risk of obesity at age 9 in both genders. Increases in parental body mass indexes (BMIs) from the age 3 survey through the age 9 survey were significantly associated with obesity at age 9 in girls.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Not only parental obesity but also increases in parental BMIs were likely to be associated with development of obesity in children.</p>