Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College here carried out their study involving rats but scientists believe it also applies to humans. Rats that ate a diet rich in fat, sugar and salt while pregnant were more likely to give birth to offspring that had the tendency to over-eat and had a preference for junk food when compared to the offspring of rats given regular feed.
The second generation, whose mothers fed on junk or unhealthy processed foods, also had unusually high levels of cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease because of fats in the bloodstream. The animals also had higher than average levels of glucose and insulin, making them susceptible to Type II diabetes, researchers added.
In the follow-up study, published in the Journal of Physiology, the researchers argued that a mother's diet has an effect lasting beyond adolescence in rats, even when the offspring were weaned off the junk food, affecting how their bodies metabolise food and suggesting a long-term health impact.
The study analysed the rats beyond adolescence through to adulthood and observed that the rats were still fatter than those whose mothers had eaten a healthier diet while pregnant and breastfeeding. Though the study was carried out in rats, the findings have implications for humans.
