Researchers seek to prevent childhood obesity prior to conception

Two researchers have received an NIH grant to examine the possibility of preventing childhood obesity before women become pregnant, according to a press release.

The recipients, Patrick M. Catalano, MD, professor of reproductive biology at Case Western Reserve University and director of reproductive health and clinical research at MetroHealth System, Ohio, and John Kirwan, PhD, director of the Metabolic Translational Research Center at Cleveland Clinic, will examine whether an exercise and nutrition program specifically constructed for mothers prior to conception will lessen the occurrence of childhood obesity.

“Until now, similar intervention programs, which have only had limited success, were introduced after women became pregnant,” Catalano said in the release. “To our knowledge, this is the first study that seeks to prevent childhood obesity before a planned pregnancy. Our hypothesis is that interventions after women become pregnant are too late to see the kinds of meaningful improvements in child and maternal health everyone is looking for.”

The program, known as the Lifestyle Intervention in Preparation for Pregnancy (LIPP), looks to reduce body fat and improve glucose and lipid metabolism in women with overweight and mild obesity who are planning on becoming pregnant.

“LIPP stands in dramatic contrast to the patients’ usual care, which for the vast majority is no lifestyle intervention at all,” Kirwan said in the release.

Under the 5-year, $5.5 million grant, 200 qualifying women will be randomly assigned to either LIPP intervention or usual care.

“We anticipate that, if successful, this project will serve as the proof-of-principle that childhood obesity can indeed be prevented — not simply treated after the fact,” Catalano said in the release.