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 This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber. This will just take a minute.

We’ve heard that a mother’s weight during pregnancy¹ can influence the weight of her offspring. Now a study of rats shows that the fat content in a mom’s diet—regardless of her body weight—may permanently² change the baby’s brain. These changes can lead to overeating and obesity³, according to research published in the November 12th issue of the journal Neuroscience.

Pregnant rats were split into two groups. One group received a balanced diet. The other got high fat-feed. The body weight of the moms remained the same. But the pups showed distinct brain differences. Those born to the moms fed a high-fat diet had a larger number of neurons that produce peptides that stimulate⁴ appetite. There was also an increased density⁵ of neuronal precursor⁶ cells in areas known to be linked to obesity. Those pups ended up eating and weighing more throughout life.

Researchers say that mother rats on a high-fat diet may be priming their offspring to metabolize and crave⁷ the same fatty foods. Perhaps today’s obesity epidemic⁸ gestated a generation ago.

Thanks for the minute for Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Cynthia Graber.