title: Epigenetics and Future Generations.
abstract: Recent evidence of intergenerational epigenetic programming of disease risk broadens the scope of public health preventive interventions to future generations, i.e. non existing people. Due to the transmission of epigenetic predispositions, lifestyles such as smoking or unhealthy diet might affect the health of populations across several generations. While public policy for the health of future generations can be justified through impersonal considerations, such as maximizing aggregate well-being, in this article we explore whether there are rights-based obligations supervening on intergenerational epigenetic programming despite the non-identity argument, which challenges this rationale in case of policies that affect the number and identity of future people. We propose that rights based obligations grounded in the interests of non-existing people might fall upon existing people when generations overlap. In particular, if environmental exposure in F0 (i.e. existing people) will affect the health of F2 (i.e. non-existing people) through epigenetic programming, then F1 (i.e. existing and overlapping with both F0 and F2) might face increased costs to address F2's condition in the future: this might generate obligations upon F0 from various distributive principles, such as the principle of equal opportunity for well being.
authors: Lorenzo
authors: L
authors: Del Savio
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Loi
authors: Elia
authors: E
authors: Stupka
mesh_terms: D004781:Environmental Exposure; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D057890:Epigenomics; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D008019:Life Style; D028681:Moral Obligations; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011640:Public Policy / Q000639:trends; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012941:Social Responsibility
keywords: epigenetics; intergenerational justice; non-identity problem