Researchers have isolated a gene which create Obese tendencies in kids. A specific gene variation was observed in Kids of the same age group. The kids with a specific gene mutation had the tendency to pick fatty foods compared to kids without this mutation.
The kids with the mutation picked Fattening Fries compared to fruits and this occurred more often than not. These kids had 100 more calories in every meal they had. This 100 calories add up eventually resulting in obesity.
As with all the studies and researches the findings are not conclusive, but says this Gene effect still can be overcome with mind.
Palmer and his team brought out its conclusion recently.Palmer said the results support the theory that childhood obesity today could be connected to the widespread availability and low cost of high-calorie foods. The research is published in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine.
Last year, scientists discovered the gene, named FTO, was linked to obesity but they didn’t know why. Most of the other genes thought to affect body weight influence appetite.
Palmer and his colleagues wanted to know if the FTO gene also had to do with eating behavior, or whether it involved how the body burns calories. They studied over 2,700 Scottish children ages 4 to 10 and put a group of them through extensive tests.
Nearly two-thirds of the children had at least one copy of the gene variant, about the same proportion found in last year’s study of mostly white Europeans. That study found that those with one copy of the gene variant had a 30 percent increased risk of obesity, and carriers of two copies had almost a 70 percent increased risk.
The gene variation is also found in other populations; the frequency in Chinese is about half that of Europeans.
