Scientists identify link between gene and obesity

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Scientists from the British university of Oxford say they have identified the clearest evidence of the relationship between genetics and obesity.

They found that people who have two copies of a “fat” version of a gene have got 70% higher risk of being obese and weigh, on average, three kilograms more than those who do not have a copy.

The work of the Peninsula Medical School, Oxdord, studied data from 40 thousand people.

The findings suggest that, despite improvements in lifestyle still remain vital and indisputable in reducing obesity, some people may have more trouble losing weight because of their genes.

The authors say that the work - funded by The Wellcome Trust (one of the largest global entities of funding for research) - could improve the understanding of obesity and possibly help prevent it, and prevent diseases related to it.

Genetic Differences

Obesity is associated with increased risk for the incidence of type two diabetes. The gene FTO, studied in search of Oxford, was first discovered when scientists was trying to understand the genetic differences between people with the type two diabetes and those without diabetes.

People with the type two diabetes had more chance to have a certain variation of the gene FTO, which also has links with the body weight.

The variation that makes people become fatter differs from another version of FTO because of a small mutation in the DNA sequence.

The team of scientists examined other studies involving 40 thousand people and sought that mutation of the FTO, confirming that in fact there was a link between the gene and the weight of the body.

People with only one copy of the “fat” variation of the FTO had 30% higher risk of being obese compared to those without any copies of the gene variation.

Those which had two copies of the gene had a 70% higher risk, and, moreover, were three kilograms more fat than people without the gene.

The teacher of the Peninsula Medical School Andrew Hattersley said that this may explain why two different people can eat the same foods and do the same amount of exercise, while one of them may have more trouble losing weight than the other.

"The typical message is that if you are over the weight, this is due to sloth and gluttony and it is your fault," he said.

"This work is suggesting that there is a genetic component."

He said that despite the difference of three kilos seem relatively small, is sufficient to have a major impact on the risk of obesity.

Best treatments

"This study is important because it showed evidence of the first gene for susceptibility to obesity," said the teacher Sadaf Farooqi, of the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge.

"Understanding the genetic susceptibility to weight gain, will be an important contribution to the prevention and treatment of obesity."

The team still does not know exactly what FTO is or how the different variants of the gene influences the body's weight.

But they expect that more research on the gene may reveal aspects of the basic biology of obesity.

The director of the Wellcome Trust, Mark Walport, said that this can have very positive consequences for public health, since one in six white Europeans have two copies of the gene variation.

"Obesity is one of the most challenging public health problems in the UK.”

BBC Brazil

Link:

cienciaesaude.uol.com.br/ultnot/bbc/2007/04/12/ult4432u158.jhtm