Fetal growth restriction is associated with accelerated postnatal weight gain and increased obesity risk in later life.International epidemiological data suggest that the phenomenon of fetal programming links poor intrauterine growth to adult disease, primarily type II diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome, conditions increasingly common in Singapore. Suboptimal intrauterine environmental condition s are postulated to affect fetal development through effects on developmental plasticity through epigenetic processes. These effects manifest as poor glucose resistance, insulin resistance, obesity and cardiovascular disease in later life. There is increasing animal data to support this model.