Metabolic programming by nutrition during early development

Incidence of obesity and diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate not only among the populations of the affluent nations but also amongst the populations of the developing nations. Understanding the mechanisms that cause the onset of these pathological conditions is a requisite to effectively tackling this problem. In this context the role of early nutritional experiences as a causative factor is being extensively investigated. This article briefly reviews the field of metabolic programming vis-a-vis an altered nutritional milieu during perinatal period and consequent adaptive metabolic patterning and metabolic imprinting in adult and/or consequent offspring.