Parental Obesity and the Adult Offspring’s Risk of Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: Insights from a UK Birth Cohort Study

Highlight

• Pre-pregnancy obesity in both mothers and fathers independently increases the risk of adult offspring developing metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
• Biparental overweight or obesity raises the odds of offspring MASLD by nearly fourfold compared to normal BMI parents.
• Approximately two-thirds of this increased risk is mediated through cumulative childhood excess adiposity, quantified between ages 7 and 17.
• Findings support a life course perspective on MASLD prevention, emphasizing parental health before conception and intervention during childhood.

Study Background