Can You Fight the ‘Obesity Gene’?

Hold on a second. There’s a gene for obesity? Really?! Wow. Man, that’s bad news. Wait (panic kicks in)… What if I have it? Oh, I bet I have it. Great. So what, you mean I’m just “destined” to be fatter than your average bear? Seriously, what a cruel twist of fate that is.

Was that your reaction when you found out that there was actually a gene that could make you fatter? For those of you who don’t have a clue what I’m on about, here’s what happened: In April 2007, news broke about a gene found to increase the susceptibility to obesity. The UK research team discovered the gene (known as FTO) in a group of 2,000 diabetics while conducting a genome-wide search for susceptibility to type-2 diabetes. The FTO gene was strongly linked to body mass index (BMI).

The strength of the genetic influence depends on whether you have inherited one or two copies of the FTO gene variant. For the unluckiest, who have inherited two copies, you are likely to weigh, on average, 7 lbs (3 kg) more (and are about 70 percent more likely to be obese) than those who do not have the FTO variant at all. For those who have escaped with just one copy, you could weigh, on average, 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg) more than the genetically risk-free group. Sadly, the odds of escaping without a single copy, my friend, are not good. Over 50 percent of people of European descent will have one or two copies, with 16 percent of those having both.