Grant: Operating Grant

The number of Canadian women of childbearing age (18-45 yrs) with obesity (BMI > 30kg/m2) has increased in the past two decades. This is concerning because population studies have reported that women with preexisting obesity at the time of pregnancy or those that gain excessive weight during pregnancy have children that are at greater risk for having obesity and heart disease as adults. The reasons for this phenomenon are not known and effective treatment strategies to prevent adverse health consequences in these children have not been identified. The objectives of this research proposal are to: 1) investigate why children from mothers who had obesity at the time of pregnancy are at increased risk for obesity and heart disease; and 2) investigate if mild exercise in these mothers during pregnancy can alleviate some of the adverse health complications observed in these children. Studies will be conducted in a mouse model in order to more definitively assess mechanisms underlying heart disease development and the beneficial effects of exercise. The long-term goals of this research are to identify targets for prevention and treatment of the adverse health complications in children exposed to maternal obesity during development and translate the findings in mouse models to human population studies.