Parental obesity predisposes to exacerbated metabolic and inflammatory disturbances in childhood obesity within the framework of an altered profile of trace elements.

Background: Family history of obesity is known to increase the odds of developing childhood obesity in the offspring, but its influence in underlying molecular complications remains unexplored.

Subjects/methods: Here, we investigated a population-based cohort comprising children with obesity, with and without parental obesity (PO+, N = 20; PO-, N = 29), and lean healthy children as controls (N = 30), from whom plasma and erythrocyte samples were collected to characterize their multi-elemental profile, inflammatory status, as well as carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms.

Results: We found parental obesity to be associated with unhealthier outcomes in children, as reflected in increased blood insulin levels and reduced insulin sensitivity, unfavorable lipid profile, and pro-inflammatory milieu. This was accompanied by moderate alterations in the content of trace elements, including increased copper-to-zinc ratios and iron deficiency in circulation, as well as metal accumulation within erythrocytes.

Conclusions: Therefore, we hypothesize that family history of obesity could be an important risk factor in modulating the characteristic multi-elemental alterations behind childhood obesity, which in turn could predispose to boost related comorbidities and metabolic complications.