Over fifteen years ago, Barker and colleagues published findings suggesting that fetal growth impairment is associated with cardiovascular disease. A few years later, Hales, Barker, and colleagues published findings showing an inverse trend in the relationship of birth weight with impaired glucose tolerance in men (depicted). Over the last decade, the fetal origins of disease hypothesis has become a frequently addressed and legitimate topic in the epidemiologic literature. Numerous studies have now shown an inverse relationship between markers of fetal growth and the later development of cardiovascular disease and the IRS. Evidence is remarkably consistent for adult men and women.