Spotlight on living well

THE early childhood years are typically touted as the most important time to set the foundations for lifelong good health.

But Australian researchers are leading a growing body of international evidence showing that while the “first 1000 days” window – from conception to age two – is important, there are critical periods over the first 10,000 days of life.

Hundreds of health researchers will descend on Melbourne from today for one of the largest global conferences on lifelong health.

New evidence will be presented that what you eat, how you move and your mental health as an adult can be transmitted across generations. But at every age, there are things prospective parents, parents and young people themselves can do to boost their own health, and that of their future children and grandchildren.

Professor Craig Olsson, an epidemiologist from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Deakin University, is leading analysis of three studies that collectively have followed about 7000 people – most from birth – for up to 47 years.

These adults now have their own children, and these babies are now also being tracked.

Prof Olsson will tell the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease World Congress that these studies were allowing, for the first time, the big questions of how a person’s life experiences affected the next generation to be answered.

Emerging from the analysis is how mental health problems persist across generations. Those who experience poor mental health in adolescence and into adulthood are more likely to suffer anxiety upon becoming a parent and struggle to bond with their children.

The children are then more likely to be more anxious.

“We need to focus on teaching young people about quality relationships,” Prof Olsson said. “It’s a triple dividend. By investing in the teenage years it has long-lasting effects within that period, and also upon (them) becoming a parent.”

Deakin University Associate Professor Jeffrey Craig said the effects of famine and war lasted at least two generations.

“What’s emerging is we have to engage everybody; from planning pregnancy, during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence.”