Maternal sugar consumption in utero may have a variety of effects on offspring. We exploit the abolishment of the rationing of sweet confectionery in the UK on April 24, 1949, and its subsequent reintroduction some months later, in an era of otherwise uninterrupted rationing of confectionery (1942-1953), sugar (1940-1953) and many other foods, and we consider effects on late-life cardiovascular disease, BMI, height, type-2 diabetes and the intake of sugar, fat and carbohydrates, as well as cognitive outcomes and birth weight. We use individual-level data from the UK Biobank for cohorts born between April 1947–May 1952. We also explore whether one’s genetic predisposition to the outcome can moderate the effects of prenatal sugar exposure. We find that prenatal exposure to derationing increases education and reduces BMI and sugar consumption at higher ages, in line with the “developmental origins” explanatory framework, and that the sugar effects are stronger for those who are genetically predisposed to sugar consumption.
Authors
Gerard Van Den Berg
Research Fellow University of Bristol
Stephanie is a Reader in Economics at the University of Bristol and an Endowed Professor of Health Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Honorary Research Associate University of Bristol
Working Paper details
- DOI
- 10.1920/wp.ifs.2022.3822
- Publisher
- Institute for Fiscal Studies
Suggested citation
G, Van Den Berg and R, Wang and S, von Hinke. (2022). Prenatal sugar consumption and late-life human capital and health: analyses based on postwar rationing and polygenic scores. 22/38. London: Institute for Fiscal Studies. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/prenatal-sugar-consumption-and-late-life-human-capital-and-health-analyses-based (accessed: 16 May 2024).
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