Developmental programming is the study of how early life experiences and exposures can impact an individual's long-term health outcomes and susceptibility to diseases. This field of research explores how factors such as nutrition, stress, and environmental toxins during critical periods of development can lead to changes in gene expression and physiological systems that influence health later in life. Developmental programming has important implications for understanding and preventing chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Studies in this area often use animal models to explore the mechanisms underlying these long-term effects and to identify potential interventions to mitigate the negative impacts of early life exposures.