Epigenetics is an important branch of genetics that analyzes how DNA modifications, such as acetylation or methylation, can modify gene expression in an inherited way without introducing mutations into the nucleotide sequence.

Some evidence indicates that parental eating habits may influence the offspring’s risk of obesity and Diabetes. A recent study with Mice compared the offspring of three genetically identical mice that were nourished with three different diets [high fat, low fat, and standard laboratory chow] for six weeks. The mice that were fed with the high fat diet became Obese and developed diabetes. The eggs and sperm cells from each group were then in vitro fertilized and embryos were implanted in a surrogate mother. The offspring from the obese mice tended to become obese more quickly and easily than those from the low fat and standard chow fed mice. Therefore, it was confirmed that dietary habits may have an effect on the offspring’s risk to develop metabolic disorders, likely because of epigenetic changes. There were some differences between offspring derived from the obese male and from the obese female.

Further studies will better elucidate the role that gender has in affecting obese or diabetes occurrence. Metabolic alterations in the offspring were more important if both eggs and sperm were collected from high-fat-diet fed animals, thus suggesting the effect of maternal and paternal diet was additive.