New research suggests that genes that predispose people to obesity act in the brain and that perhaps some people are simply hardwired to overeat.
An international research team co-led by the University of Michigan found six new genes that help explain body mass index and obesity, and all but one of the genes are tied to the brain rather than to metabolic functions, such as fat storage and sugar metabolism.
In addition to the six new genes, the study also confirmed the role of two other genes previously associated with obesity, said co-principal investigator Goncalo Abecasis, an associate professor at the U-M School of Public Health. The study appeared online Dec. 14 in advance of print publication in the journal Nature Genetics.
News release derived from MedicalNewsToday.com. Read the full article >>
