Scientists Unveil the “Fat Gene” That Dictates Your Weight Destiny

FAT BUT FIT: Obesity Experts Share Insights

For certain individuals, the journey towards
lose weight
It feels like an ongoing battle.

Currently, researchers have uncovered that a recently found ‘obesity gene’ might be responsible.

Experts from the
University of Cambridge
A genetic alteration in the DENND1B gene decreases certain individuals’ capacity to resist food temptation.

This identical genetic alteration is also observed in Labrador retrievers, which might account for their increased susceptibility to weight gain.

As per the specialists, this mutation could also be associated with the onset of childhood asthma and immune conditions.

‘ DENND1B functions like a dimmer switch to alter how the brain reacts to food,’ stated Dr Eleanor Raffan, the lead researcher of the study, to MailOnline.

In individuals, the impact of DENND1B is quite minor—it accounts for roughly 0.01 of a BMI unit. This represents a slight influence among more than 1,000 identified genetic variants throughout the genome that can either boost or lessen an individual’s predisposition to gaining weight.

However, these differences accumulate in such a way that their overall impact creates a “genetic risk load,” which predisposes an individual to obesity or protects them from developing it.

In people, obesity is assessed
utilizing the body mass index (BMI)
.

However, for canines, this is assessed using the body condition score (BCS).

The BCS evaluates canines using a scale ranging from one to nine, starting from ’emaciation,’ where there is an absence of noticeable body fat, up to ‘excessiveness,’ characterized by a lack of distinguishable waist due to significant excess weight (obese condition).

In this research, the specialists enlisted 241 pet Labrador Retrievers of various genders, having a Body Condition Score spanning from three (mildly underweight) to nine (extremely overweight).

Canines serve as an excellent model for human obesity, largely because they acquire this condition due to comparable environmental factors as humans, including insufficient physical activity and overeating.

The researchers evaluated each dog’s ‘eagerness’ by observing how persistently they begged their owners for food and whether they were selective about what they ate.

Following this, the scientists collected saliva specimens from the canines and examined genetic indicators throughout their entire DNA sequences to identify variations in genes.

They discovered several genes associated with obesity in dogs; however, the research team pinpointed a rare and detrimental DENND1B mutation that showed the strongest genetic connection to canine obesity, affecting both Body Condition Score (BCS) and body weight.

What is obesity?

The word “obese” refers to an individual with excessive adipose tissue.

The most commonly used technique for determining whether you have a healthy weight is through calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI).

An individual is considered obese when their Body Mass Index reaches 30 or higher as an adult.

For a healthy individual, the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is determined by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared, falls within the range of 18.5 to 24.9.

However, a BMI of 40 or higher falls into the ‘extremely obese’ category.

It was discovered that the genetic variation has a direct impact on what is known as the ‘leptin melanocortin pathway’ within the brain, which plays a crucial role in controlling appetite.

Dogs carrying a genetic alteration in the DENND1B gene exhibited approximately eight percent higher body fat levels compared to their counterparts without this mutation, which parallels human conditions.

The researchers emphasize that no solitary gene was responsible for determining if the dogs tended towards obesity; however, the DENND1B mutation showed the most significant association.

It was not entirely unexpected that the dogs with a greater genetic predisposition to obesity exhibited indications of possessing a stronger appetite.

Dr. Raffan further noted, “We also found one individual with extreme obesity from an early age who carried two instances of a mutation in the DENND1B gene.”

The new study,

published in the journal

Science

,

contributes to a collection of proof indicating that obesity is shaped by both biological and environmental elements.

Nonetheless, the presence of this gene variation doesn’t seal humanity’s or canines’ fate when it comes to obesity.

The research revealed that dog owners who rigorously monitored their pets’ food intake and physical activity were able to stop them from getting overweight, regardless of whether they possessed a higher genetic predisposition for obesity.

Even individuals with a genetic inclination towards obesity can combat the condition successfully by practicing portion control and engaging in regular physical activity.

Without regular physical activity and a healthy diet, the impact of this genetic alteration on our capacity to control food intake could be extremely harmful.

Dr. Raffan stated, “Should you possess a significant inherited predisposition towards obesity, readily accessible abundant food can lead to excessive consumption and subsequent weight gain, unless considerable exertion is made to prevent this outcome.”

Previous studies have already shown strong connections between DENND1B variations and body mass index (BMI) in people, the researchers note.

Regrettably, genes linked to obesity do not present as clear targets for weight-loss medications, according to Alyce McClellan, who is a co-author of the study.

“These genes manage various essential biological functions within the body that ought not to be disrupted,” she stated.

However, these findings underscore the significance of basic neural pathways in regulating hunger and body mass.

Obesity along with associated health dangers

An individual is considered obese when their Body Mass Index reaches 30 or higher as an adult.

For a healthy individual, the Body Mass Index (BMI), determined by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared, falls within the range of 18.5 to 24.9.

For children, obesity is characterized by being at the 95th percentile.

Percentiles show how young individuals rank compared to their peers of the same age.

If a three-month-old falls into the 40th percentile for weight, it indicates that 40 percent of three-month-olds have an equal or lower weight compared to that infant.

Approximately 58 percent of women and 68 percent of men in the UK are considered overweight or obese.

The ailment costs the NHS approximately £6.1 billion annually, which is part of its roughly £124.7 billion budget each year.

This is because obesity elevates a person’s risk for several potentially fatal disorders.

These conditions encompass type 2 diabetes, which may lead to kidney disease, loss of vision, and even necessitate limb amputations.

Studies indicate that at minimum, one out of every six hospital beds in the UK is occupied by a diabetes patient.

Obesity increases the likelihood of developing heart disease, which leads to approximately 315,000 deaths annually in the UK—making it the leading cause of mortality.

Transporting excessive loads has also been associated with 12 distinct forms of cancer.

This encompasses breast cancer, which impacts one in every eight women at some point during their lifetime.

According to studies, around 70 percent of overweight children face risks such as elevated blood pressure or increased cholesterol levels, making them susceptible to heart disease.

Children who are overweight have a much higher chance of remaining obese as they grow into adulthood.

Moreover, if children are overweight, they tend to have more pronounced obesity as adults.

Up to one in five children begin their schooling years in the UK with excess weight, and this proportion increases to about one in every three kids by the age of ten.

What is obesity?

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