In 2008, The Journal of Clinical Investigation published a study that gave details an obesity-related gene called FTO. The Journal stated that this gene was somehow connected to being overweight, but they weren't sure how.
But on Monday, the mystery of the fat-fortifying gene was solved: a new study reveals that fattening grub seems tastier and levels of hunger are heightened by the hormone ghrelin.
According to the BBC, familial traits are strongly associated with obesity-in fact, someone's genetic makeup is considered one of the top contributors to determination of weight.
People have two copies of the FTO gene, the British news outlet reported. Each parent gives a facsimile in a high and low-risk configuration. People who have two high-risk copies of the FTO gene have a 70 percent chance of suffering from obesity in later life.
The researchers responsible for these findings worked at the University College London, where they tested two groups of men. All these guys were of a relatively standard weight, but one group possessed the higher-risk version of FTO genes, while the other group had the low-risk FTOs.
In the first round of tests, researchers looked at how the hormone ghrelin played a part in hunger. Ghrelin accelerates hunger, they found, and this could be seen in the group of high-risk patients-after a meal, they were still hungry-their ghrelin levels continued climbing, often even more rapidly.
During the second tests, brain scans showed that after a meal, men with high-risk FTO genes found photos of foods with higher fat content more tempting than men with low-risk.
This, according to Dr. Rachel Batterham, head of the center for obesity research at University College London, is groundbreaking information-it shows that people's genetics can alter eating habits.
"Their brain is set up to be particularly interested in anything to do with high calorie food," she said, describing people with the high-risk FTO gene as "biologically programmed to eat more."
These findings could help in battling obesity, Batterham added. Some drugs that make a point to fight ghrelin could help reduce weight gain in the long-term.
She stated that low-intensity workouts, like bicycling, were good ways to lower ghrelin levels, and that pharmaceutical companies are in the midst of tweaking the hormone to find ways to control it.
