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Obesity and Genetics: What is the Connection?Identifying the underlying causes of obesity can help equip us to more effectively treat this complex disease. Such insights may also benefit people living with obesity, since understanding the causes can ease some of the stigma and self-blame that sometimes accompany it. “It’s all in your genes” could provide a tidy explanation. It may also open opportunities for personalized medicine. However, genetics is only the start.A growing body of evidence suggests that obesity is, in fact, genetic. Somewhere between 200 and 500 specific genes have been linked to the disease. Genes can influence things like how a person’s body stores fat, metabolizes nutrients, and signals feelings of fullness. Twin studies have supported the hypothesis that obesity is genetic. Several measures of obesity show a high rate of heritability, including BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, and skinfold thickness.Whatever the role of genetics, there are typically additional factors at work. A combination of genetic and environmental factors influences body weight.The Role of FTO in ObesityOne such gene is the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO), which is found in up to 43% of the population. In the presence of readily accessible food, those with the fat mass and obesity-associated gene may have challenges limiting their caloric intake. The presence of this gene and other genes can cause:Increased hunger levelsIncreased caloric intakeReduced satietyReduced control over eatingIncreased tendency to be sedentaryIncreased tendency to store body fatThe FTO allele allele associated with obesity is common in people with European ancestry, according to multiple studies and has been identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). It acts on a variety of biological and metabolic processes.Researchers have taken a keen interest in FTO as a potential drug target for treating obesity. Several small molecule drugs and micronutrients have been found to control the expression or activity of FTO, thereby playing a role in regulating metabolism.
More detailsPublished - Mon, 05 May 2025
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Key factsIn 2022, 1 in 8 people in the world were living with obesity. Worldwide adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990, and adolescent obesity has quadrupled.In 2022, 2.5 billion adults (18 years and older) were overweight. Of these, 890 million were living with obesity.In 2022, 43% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight and 16% were living with obesity.In 2024, 35 million children under the age of 5 were overweight.Over 390 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years were overweight in 2022, including 160 million who were living with obesity.OVERVIEW:Overweight is a condition of excessive fat deposits.Obesity is a chronic complex disease defined by excessive fat deposits that can impair health. Obesity can lead to increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, it can affect bone health and reproduction, it increases the risk of certain cancers. Obesity influences the quality of living, such as sleeping or moving.The diagnosis of overweight and obesity is made by measuring people’s weight and height and by calculating the body mass index (BMI): weight (kg)/height² (m²). The body mass index is a surrogate marker of fatness and additional measurements, such as the waist circumference, can help the diagnosis of obesity.The BMI categories for defining obesity vary by age and gender in infants, children and adolescents.Causes of Overweight & Obesity:Overweight and obesity result from an imbalance of energy intake (diet) and energy expenditure (physical activity).In most cases obesity is a multifactorial disease due to obesogenic environments, psycho-social factors and genetic variants. In a subgroup of patients, single major etiological factors can be identified (medications, diseases, immobilization, iatrogenic procedures, monogenic disease/genetic syndrome).The obesogenic environment exacerbating the likelihood of obesity in individuals, populations and in different settings is related to structural factors limiting the availability of healthy sustainable food at locally affordable prices, lack of safe and easy physical mobility into the daily life of all people, and absence of adequate legal and regulatory environment.At the same time, the lack of an effective health system response to identify excess weight gain and fat deposition in their early stages is aggravating the progression to obesity.
More detailsPublished - Tue, 13 May 2025
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