Scientists reveal the month you were conceived may significantly influence your weight

Along with exercise, diet and other factors, even the time of conception plays a significant role in your BMI levels.

PUBLISHED 5 DAYS AGO

(L) Calendar tracking pregnancy. (R) Woman measuring her waist with measure tape. (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | (L) Nataliya Voitkevich; (R) Annushka Ahuja)

There are so many things we can think of that affect our weight. For instance, food, amount of exercise, health issues or stress can impact our body fats. However, you must have never thought that your time of conception can affect your weight as well. As bizarre as it seems, a study published in Nature Metabolism revealed that there are factors that indicate the months preceding your birth have a lot to do with your body weight. The test was initially conducted on 356 healthy males and its results pushed experts to do an extended study on males and females, per Science Alert.

Doctor measuring waist of patient. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Beyzahzah)

The initial study examined males and found that those conceived in colder months have a higher brown adipose tissue activity. It refers to a type of fat that burns energy and even regulates blood sugar, two significant factors in the role of weight balance. Those who had a higher brown adipose tissue activity had a higher expenditure of energy, lower BMI (Body Mass Index) and even reduced fat around organs. This promotes better metabolic health altogether. It was further noted that those who were obese or overweight had a reduced brown adipose tissue activity.

Calendar marking date of pregnancy. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Nataliya Voitkevich)

The results obtained from the study provoked the experts to analyze 286 males and females of different ages to get more collective data. Again, in the case of this sample population, there was a connection between brown adipose tissue activity and weight. The people conceived during the colder months showed higher tissue activity and lower BMI, visceral fat area and waist circumference. The study is only correlational so far and researchers are yet to understand the complete connection. Moreover, the results only revealed that one’s season of conception can affect weight, not the birth month.

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A possible explanation is that cold weather often affects the genetic expression of the male sperm and female egg. In turn, these changes are passed on to the offspring. The study noted that those conceived in colder months are likely to have more brown tissue compared to those born in warmer periods. It was added, “Lower outdoor temperatures and greater fluctuations in daily temperatures during the fertilization period are key determinants of brown adipose tissue activity,” per The Independent. The authors added, “A major strength of our study is the thorough assessment of brown adipose tissue using the gold-standard method and the largest sample size of healthy participants. Our well-designed approach and the sample size allow us to certify the intergenerational influence of cold stress on brown adipose tissue activity in humans."

Man stretching and exercising to keep fit. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Andrea Piacquadio)

Helmholtz Munich epigeneticist Raffaele Teperino, who independently researched the topic, insightfully noted, "Parental health and exposure to environmental challenges at conception and maternal health and exposures during gestation and breastfeeding are emerging as key determinants of offspring health and prenatal risks of complex and non-communicable diseases." An in-depth study is to be done to determine how weather and other factors, both internal and external, can affect the offspring and future generations. However, the study has provided some evidence that the time of conception can have an impactful say on a person’s weight.

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