Setting baby on a healthy path: the influence of mum and dad

Does a parent's health before conception shape their child's future? Learn how the health of both mum and dad matters more than you think.
About this Event

Talk Description

We know the saying ‘you are what you eat’ – but how does what we eat affect our babies and their path to good health as they become adults and age? Against a background of rising obesity and diabetes worldwide, Dr Ben Albert sheds light on how early life factors influence the health of people across their lives.
Mothers with obesity are more likely to have children who develop weight problems, but as Ben will explain, this isn’t simply about bad choices. Improving the health of mothers during short windows of opportunity can have a major impact on the future health of their babies.
And what about dads? Ben reveals how they too affect their offspring, not only through lifestyle choices but also through direct effects of their health before conception. He will talk about these direct dad influences and share tips on getting healthy before having a baby.

Bio

Dr Ben Albert is a Specialist Paediatric Endocrinologist and a Senior Research Fellow at the Liggins Institute. He is an expert on childhood diabetes, hormones and growth disorders, and treats these conditions at Starship Children’s Hospital. In response to the alarming rise in obesity-related disease in children, his research has been focussed on novel ways to combat the epidemic of obesity and metabolic disorders like diabetes.