Some Morbidly Obese People Are Missing Genes - approximately 30 genes

[The Straight Story]

Some Morbidly Obese People Are Missing Genes, Shows New Research

ScienceDaily (Feb. 3, 2010) — A small but significant proportion of morbidly obese people are missing a section of their DNA, according to research published February 3 in Nature. The authors of the study, from Imperial College London and ten other European Centres, say that missing DNA such as that identified in this research may be having a dramatic effect on some people's weight.

According to the new findings, around seven in every thousand morbidly obese people are missing a part of their DNA, containing approximately 30 genes. The researchers did not find this kind of genetic variation in any normal weight people.

There are an estimated 700,000 morbidly obese people in England, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 40. Researchers believe that the weight problems of around one in twenty morbidly obese people are due to known genetic variations, including mutations and missing DNA. Many more similar obesity-causing mutations, such as the one in this study, remain to be found, says the team

Previous research had identified several genetic variations that contribute to obesity, most of which are single mutations in a person's DNA that change the function of a gene. This new research is the first to clearly demonstrate that obesity in otherwise physically healthy individuals can be caused by a rare genetic variation in which a section of a person's DNA is missing. The researchers do not yet know the function of the missing genes, but previous research has suggested that some of them may be associated with delayed development, autism and schizophrenia.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203131401.htm

[provis99]

1. how on earth can you be missing genes? Does that mean they're not fully human?

Creepy.

[JuniperLea]

4. No, and that's not very nice...

As if morbidly obese people don't have enough to contend with.

This has been a huge flame bait topic around here for years, with one camp blaming the individual, and one camp blaming genes and allergies and other things.

I for one feel for my fellow human beings... no matter their size.

I hope this is good news and that the research gives hope, and ultimately relief, to a lot of people.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. *

[winyanstaz]

3. Well expect to see a lot more of that...

The new "Body scanners" now being used and also scheduled for mass use...are said to "unravel dna".
My...how nice.

[Jamastiene]

5. Yet, they are still berated as if will power makes a difference for them. n/t

[pleah]

6. Corporations are poisoning people through the air, food and water.

Not surprised that it is altering our genes.