Rodent offspring of obese pregnancy show increased heart weight,20,21,25,30,83,84 with increased cardiomyocyte size.20,21,25,26,83,84 These alterations occur with the activation of hypertrophic signalling pathways including the re-expression of foetal genes20,25 and increased insulin signalling through AKT, ERK, and the mammalian target rapamycin (mTOR).20,25 Cardiac hypertrophy with greater myocardial collagen content has also been reported in adult offspring in an ovine model of maternal overnutrition.51 This evidence concerns the gene MTOR and overnutrition.