Role of developmental overnutrition in pediatric obesity and type 2 diabetes

Childhood obesity continues to be a significant public health burden. Empirical evidence has begun to identify intrauterine and postnatal pathways that increase the likelihood of excess adiposity and increased risk of type 2 diabetes among offspring. Reviewed here is the evidence supporting a transgenerational vicious cycle that increases obesity and diabetes in offspring and contributes substantially to the increases in obesity and type 2 diabetes observed over the past several decades. The public health impact of these findings is discussed and future research opportunities are outlined.