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Impact of Childhood Experience of Famine on Body Composition: DEX and Beyond

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Handbook of Famine, Starvation, and Nutrient Deprivation

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Abstract

Evidence has shown that growth patterns in early life are associated with the diseases risk in adulthood. This reflects the concept of programming in which environmental factors generate long-lasting variability in phenotype for individual to adapt to an adverse environment. Low birth weight (BW) and poor growth rate are associated with obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in later life. Animal and epidemiological studies have linked BW and growth rate with the changes in body composition. Prenatal and early postnatal undernutrition can affect fat distribution, reduced bone mineral content, and muscle mass in later life in animals. Individuals who were exposed to the Dutch Famine, the Great Leap Famine in China, World War II, or Nazi occupation have a higher body weight, poor grip strength, and physical performance, and/or poor bone density and higher risk of osteoporosis. Epidemiological studies also show that infants with lower BW or poor growth rate were associated with changes in body composition. Recent animal studies, however, demonstrate that this developmental programming is potentially reversible. Nevertheless with the current evidence, appropriate dietary advice can be given to promote optimal fetal and infant growth and lower diseases risk in the offspring in later life.

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Abbreviations

BMC:

Bone mineral content

BMD:

Bone mineral density

BMI:

Body mass index

BW:

Birth weight

SD:

Standard deviation

SES:

Socioeconomic status

TBBMC:

Total body bone mineral content

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Centre for Nutritional Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong

    Jean Woo, Bernice Cheung, Cecilia Tong & Ruth Chan

Authors
  1. Jean Woo
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  2. Bernice Cheung
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  3. Cecilia Tong
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  4. Ruth Chan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jean Woo .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Research Division, Faculty of Life Science and Medicine, King’s College London, London, UK

    Victor R. Preedy

  2. School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK

    Vinood B. Patel

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Woo, J., Cheung, B., Tong, C., Chan, R. (2019). Impact of Childhood Experience of Famine on Body Composition: DEX and Beyond. In: Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Handbook of Famine, Starvation, and Nutrient Deprivation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55387-0_39

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55387-0_39

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-55386-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-55387-0

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