Can Maternal High Fat Diet Disrupt the Development of μ-Opioid Receptors Inducing Childhood Overweight and Anhedonia in Adolescence?

In addition to increasing the risk of childhood obesity, new studies suggest that high levels of fat diet during pregnancy (HFD) may reduce pleasant emotions when children reach adolescence.

Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira and his research team will investigate how HFD could chemically modify regions of the DNA related with the brain's opioid system, the body's internal system to regulate reward, addictive behavior, and pain.

The overall goal is to promote the importance of a healthier diet during pregnancy to avoid long-term consequences for the offspring.