Scientists Discover Gene That Controls Obesity

[The Straight Story]

Scientists Discover Gene That Controls Obesity

British researchers have found a gene they say is linked to Type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels and serves as the master switch that controls the behavior of other genes found within body fat. The discovery could lead to obesity-related treatments in the future.

In a study published in the journal Nature Genetics, the scientists highlight the key role fat plays in metabolic illnesses such as obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes. If they can gain a better understanding of how it all works, they may be able to develop better drugs to treat these conditions.

In the United States, obesity-related diseases account for nearly 10 percent of medical spending; an estimated $147 billion a year. As rates of obesity rise, Type 2 diabetes has also approached epidemic levels worldwide.

Lead researcher Tim Spector, Ph.D. of King's College in London notes that there are a myriad of genetic factors associated with metabolic illnesses but the gene known as KLF14 is special because it acts as a regulator for many other genes. "Obesity is caused by a large number of genes acting together to increase susceptibility. Although all of them are of small effect on their own, by acting in concert in different ways they can have a significant effect," he comments.





http://abcnews.go.com/Health/master-switch-gene-obesity-diabetes-discovered/story?id=13621353

[Love Bug]

1. Pass me the low-fat popcorn...

...while I wait for the DU "all you pigs need to do is quit eating so much and exercise more" crowd to show up to refute this.

I look forward to seeing where this all goes. Hopefully there are more studies in the works that can shed light on this difficult problem.

[itsrobert]

2. Again?

Keep on looking for that magical 'fat' gene. Ignore the real cause.

[Lucian]

3. +1