A group of scientists have discovered a gene that causes some folks to gain excess amounts of weight when the ideal environmental conditions are met. Moreover, the BBC, which reported on this study, wants fat people to know that obesity is a flaw.
According to researchers, a gene called FTO made participants who had high levels of said gene more likely to craze high-fat, high caloric foods more often. This gene is commonly passed down to children who may then be at high risk for childhood obesity:
People have two copies of the FTO gene – one from each parent – and each copy comes in a high and a low-risk form. Those with two-high risk copies of the FTO gene are thought to be 70% more likely to become obese than those with low-risk genes.
Although researchers aren’t sure why FTO causes folks to crave fatty-foods, but they do know it releases the hunger hormone gherlin.
Dr Rachel Batterham, the head of the center for obesity research at University College London, told the BBC News website: “Their brain is set up to be particularly interested in anything to do with high-calorie food.”
She said they were “biologically programmed to eat more.”
Researchers suggested that eating high protein meals lowered gherlin levels.