Exposure to famine in early life and the risk of obesity in adulthood in Qingdao: Evidence from the 1959–1961 Chinese famine

Abstract Background and aims We aimed to evaluate the association between famine exposure during early life and obesity and obesity max (obese at the highest weight) in adulthood. Methods and results Data were from two population-based cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2006 and 2009 in Qingdao, China. A total of 8185 subjects born between 1/1/1941 and 12/31/1971 were categorized into unexposed (born between 01/01/1962 and 12/31/1971), fetal/infant exposed (born between 01/01/1959 and 12/31/1961), childhood exposed (born between 01/01/1949 and 12/31/1958) and adolescence exposed (born between 01/01/1941 and 12/31/1948) according to their age when exposed to the Chinese famine from 1959 to 1961. Obesity was defined as BMI (body mass index) ≥28.0 and obesity max was defined as BMI max (BMI at the highest weight) ≥28.0. We compared fetal/infant exposed, childhood exposed and adolescence exposed to the unexposed using logistic regression models to assess the effect of famine exposure on later obesity and obesity max . Fetal/infant exposed (OR = 1.59, P P P max in the fetal/infant exposed, childhood exposed and adolescence exposed were 1.49(1.20–1.86), 1.24(1.02–1.49) and 1.64 (1.40–1.93), respectively. Similar results were found in both men and women. Conclusion Exposure to famine in early life was associated with increased risks of obesity and obesity max in adulthood. Preventing undernutrition in early life appears beneficial to reduce the prevalence of later obesity.