Overview
- Published in Nature Communications Biology, the first human study to map paternal obesity’s molecular impact analyzed epigenetic profiles of 339 participants aged 7 to 51.
- Weight gain during early puberty corresponded to methylation changes at more than 2,000 sites across 1,962 genes involved in fat cell formation and lipid metabolism.
- Children of fathers who were overweight as early teens exhibited higher rates of asthma, obesity and reduced lung function.
- Female offspring showed stronger epigenetic signals than males, indicating sex-specific inheritance patterns.
- Researchers warn that promoting healthy weight during adolescence could prevent intergenerational health inequalities driven by epigenetic inheritance.