Early fatty acid exposure and later obesity risk

Purpose of review The impact of fatty acids in early nutrition on later body composition and obesity risk remains elusive. Aim of this review was to summarize and discuss recent studies on the role of early supply with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) through maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation for later offspring obesity. Recent findings Recent human studies, either interventional or observational, investigating the role of dietary fatty acids, in particular of LCPUFAs, on body composition and later obesity risk provide inconsistent results concerning BMI as well as fat mass development in the offspring. A recent meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found no significant effect of maternal supplementation with n-3 LCPUFA on BMI in both preschool and school-aged children. Summary There is currently no conclusive evidence that dietary intervention to modify fat intake during pregnancy and lactation is a reasonable strategy to prevent childhood obesity in humans, but more research is clearly needed to address this issue.