On the other hand, evidence from a variety of animal models including rodents and nonhuman primates indicates that exposure to maternal high-fat diet (HFD) consumption programs offspring for increased risk of adult obesity [106]. Hyperphagia and increased preference for fatty and sugary foods are implicated as mechanisms for the increased obesity risk. Using a nonhuman primate model of diet-induced obesity, maternal HFD consumption caused perturbations in the central serotonergic system of fetal offspring. In addition, female infants from HFD-fed mothers exhibited increased anxiety in response to threatening novel objects. These findings demonstrate that exposure to maternal HFD consumption during gestation, independent of obesity, increases the risk of developing behavioral disorders such as anxiety [107]. As maternal HFD consumption and obesity are common and rapidly increasing, it was speculated that future generations will be at increased risk for both metabolic and mental health disorders. Reduced physical activity and/or increasing sedentary behavior, such as television viewing, is implicated in the etiology of obesity. Definitive evidence of a role for reduced physical activity and energy expenditure in the causation of obesity is lacking. However, there is stronger evidence that targeting activity and/or inactivity might be effective in pediatric obesity treatment [108].
