As most
people know that obesity is one of the rising issues in people from all ages in
developed country. The incidence of obesity rapidly increasing in adulthood and
childhood whereby obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally with more
than 1 billion adults are overweight.
The main
issue is does increase consumption of energy dense food causes obesity or it is
cause by genetic?
Geneticist
in Cambridge discovered two defective copies of gene call Ob from in obese
children, which inhibit leptin production known to suppress appetite and
metabolism in mice. Further research discovered that mice that are injected
with leptin experience rapid weight lost. Could this be the cure for human
obesity?
On the other hand, researchers
discovered a hereditary mutation in gene ENPP1
that cause insulin resistance maybe the casusative factor that contribute
to obesity in children and onset of type II diabetes. The risk of obesity is
associated with gene variant.
On top of that, a common genetic
variant change in a region of DNA known as INSIG2
been identified to associate with obesity which has a role in fat production.
This was proven by US researchers led by Alan Herbert at Boston University
Medical School, found that two copies of the C variant is 22% more likely to
have BMI greater than 30.
So does genetic have any relationship
with obesity?
Then have you wonder why do some
individuals does not gain weight by eat pile of foods whilst some that rapidly
gaining weird regardless of the amount of food consumption? According to Mark
McCarthy, University of Oxford, he discovered that every two altered copies of
FTO gene would put 3kilograms heavier compare to the normal copies and increases
the risk of obesity by 30% for every single altered copy of FTO.
Researches from University of
California, Berkeley identified a gene known as DNA-PK that plays a critical regulatory
role in conversion of dietary carbohydrate to fat which prevent obesity to
over-consumption of high carbohydrate diet. It proven that mice fed with high
percentage of carbohydrate with DNA-PK disable were leaner due to deficiency of
conversion of carbohydrate into fat.
Based on the above researches and
finding, does obesity really related to genetic? Well, personally I do agree
that genetic play a major role in human life as it manipulate every single cell
in our body and its metabolism.
References
1. NewScientist,
Gene makes some people fatter 21 April 2007, viewed 20th March 2012
2. NewScientist,
Common genetic changed linked to obesity 13 April 2006, viewed 20th
March 2012
3. NewScientist,
Michael Day, Obesity may lie in the genes 28 June 1997, viewed 20th
March 2012,
4. NewScientist,
Gaia Vince, Faulty gene linked to obesity and diabetes 18 July 2005, viewed 20th
March 2012
5. ScienceDaily,
Mice with disable gene that help turn carbs into fat stay lean despite feasting
on high-carb diet, 19 March 2009, viewed 20th March 2012
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