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Obesity caused by genes
From CopperWiki
Obesity is pre-programmed into the body, according to researchers in Britain who were able to identify new genes which "predispose their carriers to becoming heavily overweight". Obesity doesn’t take place because of the body’s ability to process fat is affected but because the genes actually cause carriers to eat more.
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[edit] Why should I be aware of this?
Out of the six genes identifies which promote obesity, five five are active in the brain. Their activities in the brain could affect behaviour around food, rather than how the body breaks down fat or uses up energy, according to the researchers who found the genes.
[edit] How does this affect me?
New research suggests that genes that predispose people to obesity act in the brain and that perhaps some people are simply hardwired to overeating.
[edit] All about obesity caused by genes
An international research team co-led by the University of Michigan found six new genes that help explain body mass index and obesity. All but one of the genes are tied to the brain rather than to metabolic functions, such as fat storage and sugar metabolism.
In addition to the FTO and MC4R genes already known, six more obesity genes have been identified which are all active in brain cells: TMEM18, KCTD15, GNPDA2, SH2B1, MTCH2, and NEGR1.
[edit] Genetic factors
In the study involving 59,000 participants conducted by GIANT consortium, the German researchers believe that these newly discovered genes for obesity have a neural effect.
Though the two main causes for obesity are poor nutrition and lack of physical activity, he biology of these genes suggests genetic factors underlying the different reaction of people to lifestyle and environmental conditions. Except for SH2B1 gene, which plays a role in the leptin signaling and thus in the regulation of appetite, none of the other five genes was hitherto discussed as obesity genes.
[edit] Study on Icelanders
Researchers at the Seattle-based Rosetta Inpharmatics collected blood and fat samples from hundreds of Icelanders with the help of experts at an Iceland-based genetics company called deCODE, who analysed the expression of 23,720 known genes in each sample, and correlated the results with the body mass index of each participant.
The scientists were able to identify 2,000 genes whose expression is altered in blood cells in obese people.
According to the researchers’ estimated there were over 17,000 such genes in fat tissue. They then looked for the genome for additional DNA sequence variations associated with some of these changes in gene expression. The researchers reported that their approach yielded thousands of DNA variants, most of which were located near the gene whose expression was altered.
[edit] Unlearn
Scientists, by unveiling the genetic variants that influence obesity hope to understand better the procedure regulating energy balance. This may lead to development of new therapies and diagnosis. It will mean a considerable progress as obesity is a major problem and a huge risk faced by an individual’s health. [1]
[edit] See also
- Teenage obesity
- Mushrooms to fight obesity
- Anti-obesity drugs
- Obesity
- Childhood obesity
- Infectobesity
