- Some studies suggest that our exposure to certain nutrients and calorie contents in utero may imprint upon the developing brain and influence food choices when outside of the womb.
- Evidence to support this hypothesis comes from studies investigating the effects of consuming certain diets during gestation on various outcome measures in the offspring.
- Recent research has found that the offspring of animals fed a high-fat diet during gestation were more likely to weigh more and consume more of a high-fat diet compared to controls.
References:
- Bocarsly ME, Barson JR, Hauca JM, Hoebel BG, Leibowitz SF, Avena NM. Effects of perinatal exposure to palatable diets on body weight and sensitivity to drugs of abuse in rats. Physiology & Behavior. May 4 2012; 107, 568-575.
- Morganstern I, Barson JR, Leibowitz SF. Prenatal Programming of Obesity. In: KD Brownell and MS Gold (eds.) Food and Addiction: A Comprehensive Handbook. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2012, 119-125.
- Gold MS. From bedside to bench and back again: A 30-year saga. Physiol Behav. 2011; 104(1), 157-161.
