Fatty Food Smells Increase Offspring Obesity

A study led by Sophie Steculorum and co-authored by Laura Casanueva Reimon at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, and published in Nature (journal), found that the smell of fatty foods ingested by pregnant mothers can increase the risk of overweight and obesity in their offspring. The research, conducted on mice, showed that even with a healthy low-fat diet, the presence of fatty smells led to changes in the offspring's brains, making them more prone to obesity and insulin resistance. The study suggests that fetuses and newborns are exposed to these smells through amniotic fluid and breast milk, and that artificial activation of related neural circuits can trigger obesity in adulthood. The findings also point to the role of flavoring agents used as food additives in these effects, emphasizing the need for further research into their impact during pregnancy and breastfeeding.