According to a new study, 30 percent to 40 percent of the BMI in children is inherited from parents. This means that if the parents are suffering from obesity issues then it is likely that the child will be inheriting it as well.

In case of most obese children, this rate can be as high 55 percent to 60 percent. An experiment has been conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Sussex in which the weight and height ratios of almost 100,000 children and parents worldwide were studied. The countries that were included were the U.S., the UK, Indonesia, China, Mexico and Spain.

Intergenerational Transmission Leading To Obesity In Children

The findings showed that around 0.2 percent of BMI was constantly transmitted through intergeneration. Further research revealed that the transmission took place at about 20 percent from the mother and 20 percent from the father.

"From one of the most obese populations - USA - to two of the least obese countries in the world - China and Indonesia," said Professor Peter Dolton of the University of Sussex, indicating the variety of data that had to be collected from over the globe.

These results were quite consistent irrespective of the difference in origin, as well as economic development of the country. This research was an eye opener as it showed how obesity got transmitted over the generations both in developing and developed countries. It shows how overweight parents can lead to obesity in children.

How The Study Was Conducted

The team consistently monitored the participants from all over the world. They found the parental effect to be the lowest for the slimmest children and highest for obese children.

In case of the slimmest child, 10 percent of their BMI was inherited from the mother and another 10 percent from the father. However, for the obese child the rate of transmission was almost 30 percent, inherited from each of their parents.

The research concluded that children belonging to obese parents are more likely to become obese in their growing years. The effect is greater for the most obese children than in case of the slimmer ones.

The study's findings are important in the context of the health of children worldwide. With these results, people would perhaps start leading a healthier life for both their own benefit, as well as the healthier future of their kids.

The study has been published in the journal Economics and Human Biology.

Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture | Flickr