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| Research progress on the relationship between early life obesogen exposure and childhood obesity |
| GAO Lei1, YE Zhen2, WANG Wei1, ZHAO Dong1, XU Peiwei1, ZHANG Ronghua1
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1. Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310051, China;
2. Zhejiang Zhijiang Life and Health Institute, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310005, China |
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Abstract Childhood obesity has become a global public health issue. Current research indicates that early life obesogen exposure has emerged as a significant risk factor for childhood obesity. While obesogens have been confirmed to influence the development and progression of childhood obesity through mechanisms such as endocrine disruption and epigenetic programming, controversies remain regarding the establishment of causal relationships, assessment of combined exposures, and validation of transgenerational effects in humans. In recent years, novel approaches including multi-omics technologies, exposome-based analysis, and multigenerational cohort studies have integrated dynamic biomarker monitoring with analyses of social-environmental interactions, offering new perspectives and methodologies for constructing a systematic "exposure-mechanism-outcome" research framework. This article reviews literature from PubMed and Web of Science up to August 2025 on the association between early life obesogen exposure and childhood obesity, summarizing evidence on the health effects of early life obesogen exposure, major exposure pathways and internal exposure assessment, interactions and amplifying effects of social and environmental factors, as well as the biological mechanisms underlying obesogen action. It further examines current research frontiers and challenges, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation for early prevention and precision intervention of childhood obesity.
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Received: 20 August 2025
Revised: 24 November 2025
Published: 26 January 2026
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