Influence of parental weight change on the incidence of overweight and obesity in offspring

BACKGROUND: There is limited information on the association of parental weight change with overweight and obesity in offspring. This study aimed to investigate the association between parental weight change and incident overweight and obesity in offspring. METHODS: This longitudinal cohort study included 2,963 parent–offspring trios who participated in at least two waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey. The children without overweight and obesity defined by the International Obesity Task Force were included at the initial survey. Parental overweight and obesity were defined as body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m(2). RESULTS: The incidence of overweight and obesity in offspring was 5.8% during a mean follow-up of 5.4 years. Paternal and maternal overweight and obesity at baseline were associated with this condition in offspring at follow-up (both P(s) < 0.05). Compared with the persistent normal group, the persistent overweight and obesity group and incident overweight and obesity group (normal weight to overweight and obesity), but not the reversion group (overweight and obesity to normal weight), were more likely to report overweight and obesity in offspring at follow-up, regardless of father’s or mother’s condition. Additionally, compared with offspring whose both parents remained normal weight, those whose both parents changed from overweight and obesity to normal weight or whose one parent changed from overweight and obesity to normal weight while the other remained normal weight had no higher risks of overweight and obesity. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of parental weight management in the prevention of overweight/obesity in offspring. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-022-03399-8.