Obesity or overweight is not only influenced by unhealthy lifestyle or diet. Genes also contributed in it. Scientists reveal how genes are associated with obesity in which these genes increase a person's appetite.
A common variation in the FTO gene affects one in six people who make them 70 percent more likely to be obese. Although until now the experts do not know the cause.
Through a series of tests, research led by scientists from the UK found that variations in genes in obese people not only make ghrelin levels or 'hunger hormone' higher in the blood, but also increased sensitivity to the chemicals in their brain.
"This is a double attack," says lead researcher, Rachel Batterham of University College London, as reported by Fox News, Wednesday (07/17/2013). This invention is based on a sample study of the blood after a meal and then combined with magnetic resonance imaging of the brains of the participants.
This cell-based studies look at the production of ghrelin at a molecular level. Batterham said his study could provide new insights especially for the treatment of obesity. This is due to some experimental drug that is known to suppress ghrelin quite effective if targeted at patients who have a variation in the risk of obesity gene FTO.
This study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on Monday (15/7) then. Previous research has also shown that ghrelin could be reduced by a diet high in protein.
Steve Bloom of Imperial College London who was not involved in the study said that the FTO gene explain only a small part of the obesity epidemic. However, the study is an important step to uncover other factors causing obesity.
The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide at an alarming amount, both in developed and developing countries. Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer.
According to WHO, in 2011 at least 2.8 million adults die each year from being overweight and more than 40 million children under five years of age are overweight.
