Crucial Role of Early Life Nutrition in Shaping Childhood and Adult Health – a Metabolic Perspective

Cases of metabolic disorders have multiplied over the years, and new evidence suggests that environmental and behavioral factors may have a bigger influence than was initially thought. During critical periods, such as pregnancy and early childhood, it was found that nutrition may have lifelong and multigenerational health impacts on the offspring. It was found that both undernutrition and overnutrition, and the composition of the diet in terms of macronutrients, may cause alterations in the genes involved in energy regulation and metabolism, that may predispose the infant to morbidities in childhood and adulthood. Yann Ravussin, Ph.D. dives deeper into this in his lecture, and discusses the strides that must be taken, such as reconstructing certain foods like infant cereals, to potentially aid in preventing adult chronic disease from a young age.