Maternal Obesity Triggers Liver Disease in 60% of Offspring

[{"selector":"#anim-1affa4f2-d2d7-428a-a31d-d26f6c6dc6f6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a2b3c5d0-9464-4f7c-98ec-4eff4954c1c1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.55696%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1c4632f5-2099-4ee9-8ba1-d91d8f59dc25","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-578ad961-9acb-40c1-a022-c19580b2d4a4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.3301%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Maternal Obesity Triggers Liver Disease in 60% of Offspring Tejal Somvanshi

Your mother's weight during pregnancy might be affecting your health right now—even if you've never been overweight yourself.

[{"selector":"#anim-ddc1efa9-a59b-4854-b82b-86f78978b65c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-92b6a9d5-1942-4d82-a24b-3b762ce1b2df","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.50632%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0a87118f-14fa-4e2c-953b-280d0dc959cd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9ba18c94-a023-44fc-8265-a8c72a9a8746","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fb0bac7c-32d2-446b-8805-7defdcb64385","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Matt Bango (CC0 1.0)

Scientists have discovered why children of obese mothers develop fatty liver disease despite eating healthy diets. The answer lies in your liver's "cellular conductors."

[{"selector":"#anim-ccc678d8-b00c-4833-906d-7c34b48e1229","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cee5a88b-b1e8-4afb-a473-d03ac1220f54","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 163.7807%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ca8b1239-5daf-4940-93bd-1338cb4972ea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a873ea2a-9e82-4bd6-9ee6-fa3e2aebc30b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -110.68918%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f60350da-0c04-4be2-a749-6328b5db1a3d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Negative Space

These special cells called Kupffer cells get "reprogrammed" in the womb when exposed to an obese mother's metabolic products—changing from playing Beethoven to Vivaldi, as researchers put it.

[{"selector":"#anim-9ec04e88-c0a2-4184-aa7f-e7a3534afdee","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b9e116cd-ddda-47ee-a4b5-8ab8f9c48ad6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.58885%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b3bacc17-029e-4651-87c7-64af04ed7178","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f07b5ff0-8fab-4442-b377-b341ce54f1fc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(113.60759%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f2c30717-25ef-4417-988b-4de3e1f02cc3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Negative Space

A molecular switch called HIF1α gets flipped on in these cells during development, permanently changing how they direct other liver cells to behave.

[{"selector":"#anim-ed34fb26-4e3c-4e01-a9d9-30223c09843b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b78e2681-c81e-4cec-9c94-cc650fa6a4f5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 163.7807%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bc4cad00-1dec-4816-8af2-ce16c66e5114","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eb6bade6-d7fd-4067-a0e0-9838fb29bb3c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -113.98032%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3411aae0-a5a7-4c5d-8d2f-c36aef8f7578","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Heute.at (CC BY 4.0)

The shocking result? 60% of female offspring born to obese mothers developed fatty liver disease compared to just 20% from normal-weight mothers—regardless of their own diets.

[{"selector":"#anim-b4b4f70b-de8c-4b00-bc79-90f010210c44","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c6ab3980-25a6-489e-8116-7acdb7cf17b2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-523f3d1b-248d-4e8e-a9ff-ed7b3dfbeecd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9b4573c8-a639-48db-be27-0c160e668ac9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-da955d4c-437e-42f0-afb2-10067ff38796","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Rawpixels (CC0 1.0)

When researchers turned off this molecular switch in mice, the babies didn't develop fatty liver—proving this isn't just genetic fate but a preventable biological mechanism.

[{"selector":"#anim-d64d44a5-8bd6-4dda-8274-1ef431d4c89a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b448075e-42c3-4dc6-81c3-3d1e29599a14","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 163.7807%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a4a1c2b1-ff6b-45ea-ba00-ad1d0a29318f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2e162b3a-e264-4d4e-9fc1-6f900b73f1b3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e0f49b53-1e7e-4ea7-8182-d3d48fca8fd8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Verminaard (CC BY-NC 4.0)

It's not just livers at risk—maternal obesity has been linked to changes in children's brain structures, increased heart disease risk, and higher diabetes rates.

[{"selector":"#anim-d30c23d4-efac-40de-8ab1-7fdd88400209","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d8d60cdc-5755-4313-bf5e-2f749f514ca0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.30874%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2d13d650-1cce-4810-9d0e-e28f5819f4ae","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c1531732-45f9-4d8b-b482-2e95d3bf203a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b239a15f-7a70-4e00-a775-b7f2ea74831e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: ParentingPatch (CC BY-SA 3.0)

More than half of pregnancies in developed countries now involve overweight or obese women, creating an urgent public health challenge that affects generations.

[{"selector":"#anim-6583a15c-c854-44b6-8b7e-eec9665378f6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2514b9af-6bff-4c06-bc39-9aae2ddd330d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 164.43004%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1facb361-882a-4151-b905-1acabba6745f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e8e4919f-a5f5-484c-bbbb-9ca63248e089","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a62b6bc3-98b6-486c-95f3-1fef040e9101","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Matt Bango (CC0 1.0)

Women who lose weight before pregnancy have children with significantly lower disease risks—suggesting this intergenerational cycle can be broken.

[{"selector":"#anim-c2e53f85-35fb-45ce-87f9-bf5643089ad6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-28355fae-1871-4652-8b97-8f33a3f7c142","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-800506ed-b51b-4bfa-bbb1-06ee019d0589","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-094344f6-dcda-446f-9f0c-f78d007c1e92","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-47221875-6bbb-4d5b-a5a4-e3b25c027339","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Heute.at (CC BY 4.0) Read Full Story

University of Bonn researchers are now investigating medications that could target this mechanism, potentially protecting children from the metabolic legacy of maternal obesity.

[{"selector":"#anim-280e1821-9f5e-40ab-a2a6-67f6441097a9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-80d2c946-19a0-49fd-8728-11d00cd31ee5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 139.90176%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-62a376f3-10d0-42d0-9fa9-70b7a078fb21","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d759ea24-d1d2-43ba-af23-bed02a435cf9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1a2130de-92d5-48cf-a8e2-c22f8248e9fd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: PxHere

[{"selector":"#anim-5e892978-c945-403a-9840-5dd1bc2ce835","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-22ad335c-32da-4e8d-89c2-88c0969df476","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8c368f47-813d-4939-9552-ff1c31c8ab08","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c9798add-1f62-409d-9971-6d19f3b26d01","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a49de72e-47c0-4bc4-9920-08e243703b94","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.2381%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Tumor Medication Linked to Gambling and Hypersexuality Learn more