ObjectiveTo systematically review the effectiveness of breastfeeding duration and intensity in reducing the risk of overweight or obesity among offspring exposed to intrauterine hyperglycemia. MethodsThe PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, CBM, WanFang Data, CNKI and VIP databases were electronically searched to collect observational studies on the associations of breastfeeding with the risk of overweight or obesity among offspring exposed to intrauterine hyperglycemia from inception to September 25th, 2021. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. Stata 16.0 software was used for the meta-analysis. ResultsA total of 12 657 participants from 13 observational studies were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that breastfeeding could reduce the risk of overweight or obesity among offspring exposed to intrauterine hyperglycemia (OR=0.67, 95%CI 0.53 to 0.84, P=0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed a protective effect of breastfeeding for both 1-6 months (OR=0.53, 95%CI 0.37 to 0.75, P<0.001) and ≥6 months (OR=0.56, 95%CI 0.46 to 0.69, P<0.001); however, breastfeeding shorter than one month was suggested to increase the risk of overweight or obesity (OR=2.15, 95%CI 1.41 to 3.27, P<0.001). ConclusionAvailable evidence suggests that breastfeeding for more than one month is effective in reducing the risk of overweight or obesity in offspring exposed to intrauterine hyperglycemia, and women with hyperglycemia should be encouraged to breastfeed their offspring for at least 1 month to achieve the effect. Due to the limited quantity and quality of the included studies, more high-quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.
ObjectiveTo review the current epidemiological status and trends of overweight and obesity globally and in China, and to analyze its hazards, causes, and prevention strategies. MethodsRecent global and Chinese studies and reports on obesity epidemiology were retrieved. Data from the latest World Obesity Federation’s reports and authoritative national statistics were comprehensively analyzed. ResultsThe prevalence of overweight and obesity was rising worldwide. About 43% of adults were overweight and 16% of adults were obese globally. There were an estimated 2.5 billion adults with overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m2), including 0.89 billion with obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m2). The overweight rate in youth aged 5–19 increased from 8% in 1990 to 20% in 2022. In China, over half of adults were overweight or obese, totaling over 402 million and ranking first in the world; the overweight/obesity rate in children and adolescents approached 20%. Gaps between urban and rural obesity had narrowed in China, and males and northern regions had higher rates than females and southern regions. Obesity greatly increased the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other chronic diseases. ConclusionsBoth globally and in China, obesity has become a serious epidemic challenge. Strengthened prevention and control strategies are urgently needed, including comprehensive treatment based on healthy lifestyle intervention, drugs, endoscopy, weight loss surgery, etc, adoption of new weight management therapies and supportive policies are also needed. Special attention should be paid to preventing childhood obesity to curb the rising trend and reduce the associated health burden.