New research published this week has provided further evidence that obesity is something that certain individuals are more susceptible to as a result of their genetic inheritance. The study, which was carried out by researchers from University College London and the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, was based on the study of over 3,000 children. They discovered that the children with copies of the risky variant of the FTO gene were less likely to have an appetite “off” switch that told them to stop eating when they were full. The FTO gene is the first common gene that has been linked to obesity in Caucasians. The findings of the study have been published in the latest edition of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
The children who participated in the study were aged between eight and eleven. The scientists found that the children who had the higher risk version of the FTO gene tended to overeat and to eat significantly more than those who had the normal gene. The research involved measuring the children’s height, weight and waist circumference. Their parents were also asked to fill in a questionnaire detailing the children’s eating habits.
Previous studies have shown that adults who have two copies of the higher risk gene are, on average, 3kg heavier than someone without the gene whilst adults who have a single copy of the gene are 1.5kg heavier.
Professor Jane Wardle, who was the lead researcher, explained that although carrying the high-risk variant of the gene made children more susceptible to putting on weight it did not follow that they would automatically do so. It was lifestyle factors that would determine whether or not the child became overweight or obese.
It would be easy to ‘blame’ obesity on a gene rather than accept personal responsibility for one’s weight. This research does prove that certain people are going to have a genetic predisposition to overeating and putting on weight. This in turn means that those people are going to have to pay even more attention to what they eat and to the amount of food that they consume. They will also have to ensure that they take enough exercise to counteract this genetic disadvantage. Having the high risk FTO gene is not an excuse to overeat and take no exercise!