Overweight and obesity in childhood associated with increased risk of childlessness in adulthood
A study of nearly 61,000 women in Denmark finds that women who had a body mass index (BMI) trajectory in the overweight or obesity range during childhood were less likely to have children than women with a normal (average) BMI trajectory. This effect on childlessness was already apparent in their mid-20s. The study is published in JAMA Network Open.
A study of almost 61,000 women in Denmark has found that those with an overweight or obesity BMI trajectory during childhood are less likely to become mothers compared to those with a normal BMI pattern. This effect becomes apparent in their mid-20s, with women experiencing an obesity BMI trajectory in childhood being 22% less likely to have children between ages 25 and 29, and 42% less likely between ages 30 and 34.
Women with an overweight BMI trajectory were 9% less likely to have children during the same age ranges. The lead author, Dr. Dorthe C. Pedersen, explains that these findings suggest that poor BMI patterns from as early as age 6 may increase the risk of childlessness from mid-20s onward.
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