What is Generational wellbeing?
To explain this best, let’s think about the idea of ‘Generational wealth’. This is the notion that people will inherit different forms of wealth that are passed down from their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and so on. This could be money, properties, businesses or other assets that are kept within the family. The total value of this wealth tends to increase with each generation as individuals have a ‘head start’ in building and adding their own contributions. This concept can be applied to our health and creates something called ‘Generational wellbeing’; improving your own health not only impacts your own life, but has a direct effect on the health of your family, and will likely improve the health of the next generation and so on. Wellbeing (both physical and mental) is also made up of different components, such as strong relationships, healthy eating habits and good sleep hygiene. This concept of ‘Generational wellbeing’ can help to create sustained good health within a family that supports everyone's quality of life. Equally, your own health is impacted by the health of the previous generations in your family. This helps us understand why people can be at a higher risk of suffering from certain health problems, including overweight and obesity, and how best to manage them.
What does Generational wellbeing mean for overweight and obesity?
International data suggest that children of parents with overweight or obesity are twice as likely to develop overweight or obesity themselves, compared with those whose parents have a healthy weight.
There are many factors that can lead to someone suffering from overweight or obesity. These can be grouped into two major categories:
- Biological - our genetics and the way our physical bodies are designed to work
- Environmental - how the world around us shapes who we are and how we behave
When thinking about the ways our families influence us, these influences can also be understood within the same two categories. Biologically, our genes are made from DNA, which contains instructions and information for building and maintaining our bodies and is passed down through generations, from parent to child. In terms of environment, our families and those around us shape our surroundings and culture. As children, we learn about the world around us from our families: we eat the same food, take part in the same activities and live in the same place.
So, when we look at patterns of overweight and obesity running in families, the next question is whether this is because of shared biology or a shared environment. In reality, the answer to this is both.
Two female family members stretching in a park
Biology
Our DNA contains coded information about how our bodies are made and how Our DNA contains coded information about how our bodies are made and how they work – like an instruction manual. Genes are small sections of DNA that contain specific instructions for a specific feature or function. For example, genes inherited from your parents will determine traits like eye and hair colour. But they will also influence internal body systems, such as how much or little of appetite-regulating hormones can be produced, or where the body is most likely to store fat tissue, and this can impact a person’s risk of developing overweight or obesity. This study estimates that there are over 1,000 different genes, inherited from our parents, that can have a role in whether an individual goes on to live with overweight or obesity.
There are other medical conditions that can arise through the genes we inherit from our parents, which may also increase the chance of someone going on to develop overweight or obesity. These include thyroid disorders, other hormonal disorders (such as Cushing’s disease, polycystic ovary syndrome) and joint problems like arthritis.
More recent areas of research show that certain lifestyle factors can change the way that our bodies read the information in our DNA. For example, extra pieces can get added onto the DNA that act like on/off switches for genes, affecting how active specific genes are. This idea is known as ‘epigenetics’, and these changes can be passed down through multiple generations: to our children and our children’s children. Essentially, the way we live our lives can have a knock-on effect on how genes work in future generations. Epigenetics is thought to be involved in the development of a number of diseases, including some types of cancer, and is well associated with the development of overweight and obesity. Examples of factors that can affect our epigenetics include exposure to certain types of plastics and pesticides, our diet, exercise, the amount of sleep we get and the amount of alcohol we drink.
Environment
As well as passing down genes through generations, people also pass on their ideas, culture and attitudes, including those around lifestyle. Families often share habits around food, activity levels, and beliefs about body image, and these influences start even earlier than you might imagine – sometimes even before birth. Importantly, many of these patterns are shaped by practical realities such as household income, food affordability and time pressures, rather than being purely conscious choices families make.
From the time of development in the womb, there are factors at play:
- If a pregnant mother is living with obesity herself, or other medical conditions such as gestational diabetes, this can increase the risk of the baby experiencing overweight or obesity later on in life
- Breastfeeding has been shown to be associated with a slightly lower risk of obesity later in life, compared with formula feeding.
- Some studies suggest that using baby-led weaning may reduce the risk of overweight or obesity later in life when compared to more traditional or ‘spoon-fed’ methods of weaning, although more research is needed in this area.
- Evidence shows that children who have more sugar in their diets are more likely to develop overweight or obesity.
As well as shaping our habits around food and eating, our families also have an impact on our activities and the psychology of body image and self-esteem. This study found that the way parents talk about the body weight of their children has a direct impact on how those children go on to feel about their own body image as adults. Many parents report that grandparents also often have a significant influence on shaping children’s eating patterns. Additionally, data show that children from families who are more active or participate in sports are less likely to develop overweight or obesity. Importantly, these influences are not a reflection of individual choices or willpower; they are part of the environment many people live in.
How can this help us?
Generational health can give us insight as to why weight loss is easier for some and more difficult for others, and it is important to remember that both our biology and our environments can affect body weight. Whilst you can’t change the basic DNA code you inherited from your parents, understanding if you have a higher genetic risk of developing overweight or obesity can help navigate weight loss and long-term weight management. Your healthcare provider can also use this information to ensure that your plan is tailored to your needs with a more personalised approach. Creating a treatment plan that takes into context your family history, lifestyle and medical background can provide powerful support for you in your health journey. This means that strategies are more effective and are more likely to result in sustained wellness and long-term health goals.
Generational well-being shows that fostering healthy habits goes beyond supporting wellness on an individual scale. Making small, positive and achievable changes can benefit both ourselves and our families around us. By thinking about our eating habits, activities and sleep, over time we can build a healthier family environment that not only supports our own quality of life, but also reduces the risks of overweight and obesity in our children and in future generations.
Key messages
- An element of overweight and obesity risk is inherited from our parents through genetics.
- There are aspects of our environment and lifestyle that can affect how our body reads DNA in a way that can change our risk of developing overweight or obesity, and can be inherited by future generations.s
- Environmental factors affecting our bodyweight can start from development in the womb, right up to adulthood and the present day.
- Our families help shape our attitudes, feelings and behaviours around food, movement and health.
- Making long-lasting changes to benefit our health can also benefit the health of our children and generations to come