Genes to blame for obesity?

Scientists believe they have found a gene that could be responsible for obesity, it has been revealed.The obesity gene was identified by a population-wide screening study led by scientists from the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter and the University of Oxford.DNA samples from more than 38,500 people across the UK and Finland revealed a strong link between a particular variation of a gene called FTO and obesity.Genes come in pairs, and individuals carrying one copy of the FTO mutation were found to have a 30 per cent higher risk of being obese than those with no copies, while those who had two copies of the gene have a 67 per cent greater risk.By 2010 it is believed a third of all men and 28 per cent of women in England will be obese, according to figures from the Department of Health.Experts hope the discovery will aid them in the fight to stem rising levels of obesity. It might also point towards new drug treatments that stop people becoming grossly overweight.Each year obesity causes tens of thousands of premature deaths and costs the country an estimated £7 billion.Professor Andrew Hattersley, from the Peninsular Medical School, who led the research said: "As a nation, we are eating more but doing less exercise, and so the average weight is increasing, but within the population some people seem to put on more weight than others."Our findings suggest a possible answer to someone who might ask `I eat the same and do as much exercise as my friend next door, so why am I fatter?' There is clearly a component to obesity that is genetic."What the gene does and why it is linked to obesity is still a mystery.Co-author Professor Mark McCarthy, from the University of Oxford, said: "Even though we have yet to fully understand the role played by the FTO gene in obesity, our findings are a source of great excitement."© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

ITN | April 12, 2007

Tags:. .link. .each. .same. .per. .possible