Early life overfeeding - mechanisms for programming obesity and long-term immune dysfunction.

Overfeeding in early life has a remarkable long-term impact on body weight, leading to obesity in adulthood. We have exciting evidence that this programming also affects an animal s ability to combat infection. Here we will examine the long-term programming effects of early life overfeeding on development of obesity and immune system dysfunction. We will also investigate the mechanisms for these effects. The outcomes will have significant implications for experimental design and understanding neonatal programming. They will also inform more efficient feeding protocols in agriculture for the production of quality meat. In addition, this work may benefit the social, economic, and health aspects of obesity and immune dysfunction in humans.