New genetic variants that influence fat mass, weight and risk of obesity have been uncovered via an international investigation led by Oxford and Cambridge researchers.
A study of 90,000 people from seven countries found that
these variants map close to a gene called MC4R.
Mutations in this gene are the most common genetic cause of severe familial
obesity and it is already known that rare, highly disruptive variants in the MC4R gene are responsible for very
severe, genetic forms of obesity. The collaboration has now uncovered more
common variants that affect more people.
The team, whose research is published in Nature Genetics, found that two copies
of these genetic variants resulted in an average increase in weight of about
1.5 kg.
It's not just genes though - lifestyle contributes to body mass, too
clipped from: www.ox.ac.uk 