The DOHaD theory made the critical observation that foetal programming in the womb permanently shapes the body’s structure, function and metabolism making undernutrition and over-nutrition during gestation an important early origin of adult cardiac and metabolic disorders. ![]() It also found a direct association between birth weight and rates of adult death from ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease). The DOHaD theory was borne from epidemiological studies of birth and death records, which revealed a high geographic correlation between rates of infant mortality and certain classes of later adult death. Links were made with adult diseases, which paved mechanistic roads to what became Professor Baker’s contemporary hypothesis, Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). These included diet, social interactions, housing conditions and commensal microbiota (the non-harmful microbes in our intestines). Dubos in the 1900s, the theory evolved from ground-breaking studies assessing early life environmental exposures. The first 1,000 days health and prevention model is founded in science. Shaping food behaviours during this stage could influence diet in later life, as well as the associated health outcomes. The figures speak for themselves: between 50-60% of food preferences a child has when aged two to three are the same as when they are 17-22 years old 3. This period, from conception to toddlerhood, is thought to be the key window for setting up healthy nutrition habits. Though a step in the right direction, there is a notable lack of policies to address what has been scientifically proven to be the most critical phase of dietary development: the first 1,000 days of life. The multifactorial intervention presented in this framework places significant emphasis on sugar reduction and the socio-environmental interfaces that influence school-aged children. The recently launched Childhood Obesity Strategy is a mark of government recognition of this mission. Tackling this problem is critical to ensuring the health of future populations. The effect of poor diet is perhaps most alarming in children, with 21.9% of UK children starting school overweight or obese 2. According to the World Health Organisation, diet is one of the catalysts in five out of the seven leading causes of death in the UK: obesity high blood pressure high blood sugar high cholesterol and malnutrition 1. ![]() Nutrition and diet are now more than mere buzzwords they are key concerns for the health of the nation. At the same time consumers’ eating habits are changing, with an increasing trend for quick, on-the-go meals rather than the traditional family meal set-up. High calorie meals and ‘fast foods’ are more readily available than ever before, with many ‘healthy’ meals containing high levels of salt, sugar and fat. Obesity is arguably one of the greatest threats to life in the 21st century. ![]() Science is the key to understanding this critical development period and delivering the products and services needed to provide long-term positive health outcomes. With national obesity figures on the rise, infant nutrition – specifically the first 1,000 days of life – are ever more important.
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