Genetic Predisposition to Obesity

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The answer can be found in obese people. Obesity has always existed in humans. The question has been rather if it is genetic or if it is a person's lifestyle choices. Obesity has affected my friends, family, and at times myself and even when people make the right health choices they still seem to struggle with it. Millions of people battle with obesity and it is imperative to find the root cause of it. We are aware that our genetic makeup determines our traits and contributes to our health. So is obesity a genetic predisposition or is it a result of processed foods and lack of exercise? There are certainly environmental factors in obesity but overall it is genetic.
“As early as in 2007 researchers identified the first 'obesity gene' known as the FTO gene (Fat mass and obesity-associated protein) but after having studied the FTO genes for six years, they are still not sure how this gene variant affects obesity. They do, however, know that people with FTO have an increased risk of obesity.” (Sjorgen, 2013) In the research conducted by the Institute of Preventive Medicine at Fredricksberg Hospital researchers found that when one of the components of DNA ( adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine) has been replaced by another it causes the gene to behave differently. This causes the predisposition for the gene of obesity. These researchers believe the solution to genetic obesity will be found within the next ten years.
When researching the relation between obesity and genes, researchers often question if it is one gene or influenced by many genes. In the research that discovered the FTO gene it would appear that obesity is linked to one gene. Variation of the FTO gene affects one in six of the population. Individuals with the...

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... the discovery of the FTO gene and other gene mutations researchers are on the path to find the different genetic causes of obesity. Once those causes are found hopefully new methods of prevention will be introduced.

Works Cited

Bo XI, Jie MI, Genome-wide Association Studies of Common Obesity: Now and Future, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, Volume 26, Issue 10, October 2013, Pages 787- 791

Harvard School of Public Health.(n.d.) Genes are not destiny. Retrieved October, 2013 from http://hsph.harvard.edu

Lepore, C. (2013). Genetic mutation linked to severe obesity. Retrieved October, 2013 from http://www.childrenshospital.org

Sjogren, K. (2013). Seven New Genetic Causes of Obesity Identified. Retrieved October, 2013, from HTTP://sciencenordic.com
UCL.(2013) How obesity triggers weight gain. Retrieved November, 2013, from http://ucl.ac.uk

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