Researchers Find Gene That Promotes Obesity

It's true, say researchers. Some people really are genetically predisposed to be obese.

The revelation comes from British scientists writing in the journal Nature Genetics. They've been studying the role of body fat in metabolic diseases like heart ailments and diabetes.

Their work has focused on a gene that they call a “master switch.” They say it controls other genes found in body fat, and by learning more about it, they hope to find new treatments for obesity-related diseases.

Tim Spector of King's College London, who led the study, said the “master gene” is important because very small changes in it can have huge effects in other genes that provide metabolic controls. He says the behavior of this gene – known as KLF14 – can make people more susceptible to obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

An estimated one in ten adults worldwide is obese, and many may have struggled vainly to lose weight because of this gene. Researchers say they hope their discovery will lead to drugs that can help control the “master gene” and make it easier for affected people to lose weight.

In previous research, scientists identified KLF14 as being linked to type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels in humans. The latest research provides the framework for understanding how it works. The researchers say that the other genes under control of KLF14 have a lot to do with a person's body mass index (BMI), their cholesterol, insulin and glucose levels, and whether or not they are obese.

How your KLF14 gene behaves is inherited from both your mother and father. The researchers found that, in this study at least, the KLF14 gene inherited its activity from the mother. The study was carried out on 800 twins in the UK.