Lifespan: Catch-up growth and obesity in male mice

The authors investigated whether the lifespan of male mice is affected by their growth rate when they were suckling and find that limiting growth during that period not only increases longevity but also protects against the life-shortening effect of an obesity-inducing diet later on. By contrast, the authors found that lifespan is considerably shortened if the postnatal period of growth is accelerated to make up for reduced growth in utero, and that, in addition, these mice are susceptible to the adverse effects on longevity of an obesity-inducing diet after weaning.