Around six per cent of British people with European ancestry had the necessary combination of genetic variants
The genes which protect around four million people in the UK from obesity have been discovered following a major research project.
Scientists at Cambridge University say
drugs to keep people slim are now a possibility after they identified
the handful of genetic factors that prevent overeating.
Medics have known for several years that genes can influence a
person’s weight
.
However, the new study is significant because it reveals in granular detail which variants suppress or encourage appetite.
The research team analysed the genetic profiles of more than half a million volunteers from the UK Biobank.
They found that around six per cent of
British people with European ancestry have a particular combination
which means they are more likely to avoid putting on weight regardless
of their lifestyle.
Published in the journal Cell, the study
focused on a gene known as MC4R which was previously identified by the
same Cambridge scientists to play a role in appetite by controlling a
receptor in the brain called melanocortin 4.
People who had certain variants of MC4R
which disrupted this receptor tended to gain weight easily, the study
found, while those who had a different combination caused the receptor
to stay “switched on”, enjoying the opposite effect.
Participants with these variants would eat less, which probably explaining their lower weight.
The team found that people with two
copies of these particular variants - one in over 1,000 people in the UK
- were on average 2.5 kg lighter than people without the variants and
had a 50 per cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Professors Sadaf Farooqi, who co-led the
project, said: “This study drives home the fact that genetics plays a
major role in why some people are obese - and that some people are
fortunate enough to have genes that protect them from obesity.
"It doesn't mean that we can't influence
our weight by watching what we eat, but it does mean the odds are
stacked against some people and in favour of others."
Through laboratory experiments, Professor
Farooqi and her colleagues established that MC4R can send signals
through a pathway, known as the beta-arrestin pathway, that had not
previously been linked to weight regulation
.
Genetic variants that sent signals
preferentially through this route were the ones driving the association
with protection against obesity and its complications and, importantly,
were also associated with lower blood pressure.
The insight forms a platform for the development of new drugs which mimic the newly identified pathway.
"Genetic studies of thousands of people
and a functional understanding of the mechanisms behind protective
genetic variants can really help us inform the development of a new
generation of medicines for common diseases like obesity and diabetes
that affect millions of people globally,” said Professor Nick Wareham,
who also took part in the study
.
Almost one in three adults are now estimated to be obese - which is set to rise to 48 per cent in the next three decades.
The figure is more than double the forecast global average of 22 per cent, said the University College London report.
The US the only developed country predicted to fare worse - reaching 55 per cent.
Around 10 per cent of adults in the UK already have type two diabetes, which is closely linked to excess weight.
The data presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Vienna last year suggested this will reach almost 13 per cent by 2045.
Here is some helpful advice about weight loss and diet.
When it comes to losing weight — and keeping it off — your diet is far more important than exercise, although physical movement is the leverage agent that allows you to truly optimize your health and fitness
One of the keys to long-term weight management is healthy metabolism and mitochondrial function. The key is to eat in such a way that your body is able to burn fat as its primary fuel rather than sugars (nutritional ketosis)
Eating less and paying attention to the timing of your meals (fasting or intermittently fasting and avoiding late-night eating) can also be useful for kick-starting your metabolism in the right direction
Summer has arrived and I know many people are getting ready for the beach. The above long article gives valuable information on weight loss and I hope this helps if you have been trying to lose
weight.
Faster weight loss appears quite an uphill task, especially if you wish to lose more than 10 pounds. In the present scenario, there are numerous ways to shed weight such as weight loss supplements, fitness programs and numerous fad diets.
But, the fact remains that most of us find it difficult to go through these tedious processes. Besides, they yield only short term results. To lose weight healthily and maintain it, you need to follow a healthy lifestyle incorporating a balanced diet and regular exercise.
It's always good to read about tips for weight loss!
Paul McKenna, the Self-Help Guru, has just published a new book regarding Weight Loss. He had written a book on losing weight and produced a series of tapes some years ago. The book is entitled "Freedom from Emotional Eating". This book should shed some light on comfort eating. It comes with a CD. It was published yesterday 2nd January for the price of £12.99. I shall certainly get this book to give me a few hints on how to lose weight and not revert back to old habits.
At the beginning of 2012, 2.6 million people started diets only to fall prey to comfort eating once more five days later. This is the issue that Paul McKenna wants to address in his new book.
Source: Daily Mail, Monday 30th December - Life & Style
With best wishes
Adele Bantle
International Style Coach
