Some People May Be Genetically Prone to Obesity
A new study says the gene could increase some people’s risk of becoming dangerously overweight by 70% and raising their consequent chance of developing Diabetes by 50%.
The study, by geneticists from Oxford University and the Peninsula Medical School in Britain, could eventually lead to new ways of approaching the condition that blights the health of millions. The findings may also help explain why some people find it harder to lose weight than others.
The researchers spent 15 years analyzing the DNA and health of more than 40,000 adults and children before pinpointing a gene called FTO which plays a key role in obesity. Professor Graham Hitman, of Queen Mary’s School of Medicine in London, said: “We live in a blame culture, in which, when people gain weight, it is entirely their fault. This exciting research confirms, that while improving lifestyle is still the key, some people will find it harder to change their weight than others.”
Experts have warned that an entire generation faces an old age blighted by heart disease, cancer, Diabetes and other diseases brought on by obesity.
The research, reported in the journal Science, pinpointed a flawed version of the FTO gene. It is the first time a specific gene has been linked to obesity.
As genes come in pairs, the people at greatest risk are those who carry two flawed versions of FTO. They are around 7 pounds heavier than average.
Those who have inherited just one flawed gene are 30% more likely to be obese and 25% more likely to develop Diabetes than those who have two normal copies.
The scientists said the flawed gene affects the weight of both adults and children, with its influence kicking in by the age of seven. But they do not know yet how it affects the body.
Meanwhile, a balanced, nutritious diet combined with regular exercise remains the surest way to help reverse an underlying cause of obesity, namely the imbalance of blood glucose and insulin called Insulin Resistance. By reversing Insulin Resistance, you can facilitate weight loss.
If left unchecked, obesity may lead to a variety of other disorders, including the cluster of increased risk factors for heart disease called Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X), as well as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) - a leading cause of infertility and menstrual irregularity, acne and other skin conditions, excess facial hair and female hair loss. Overweight women do not have a monopoly on PCOS, however. Up to 50% of PCOS sufferers may be females who are of normal weight or even lean.
Overweight men are at greater risk of prostate cancer. Insulin Resistance-linked weight problems are also associated in both sexes with Type 2 Diabetes. Before the onset of this latter condition, however, most people develop reversible Pre-Diabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are elevated beyond normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. Left unchecked, Pre-Diabetes may lead to the Type 2 variety, which can only be managed for the rest of a person’s life. Many Diabetics require daily injections of insulin.
Type 2 Diabetes severely increases the risk of blindness, amputation and kidney disease, as well as a heart attack or stroke. Some 90% of people with Type 2 also suffer from excess weight or obesity.
Dr. Shackelton is a founding partner of Insulite Laboratories. She directs research and development of the formulas comprising the four Insulite Systems and those in development. Her study of the biochemical and physiological reasons for weight gain led to her focus on Insulin Resistance – the abnormal response of insulin to glucose - and its growing number of related conditions.
http://www.pcos.insulitelabs.com
