Is there an Obesity Gene?Ashley E. Eames

Common Questions and concerns?

•What does it mean to be obese?

•But, I do not look obese.

•What are common health risks?

• Is being Obese passed on through generations?

What is the FTO gene?

•Function?

•Location of the gene?

•Size of the gene?

•Where is it expressed?

•Can more gene be expressed?

Discovery of this gene•4000 individuals were tested

•Identified the FTO gene in all the samples

•A variant was found when a single nucleotide was changed

•When the individual had 2 copies of the variant FTO they were 1.67 times more likely to be obese.

The Next Generation: Children

•Genetic and Environmental Factors

•Epigenetics

•Parental roles and setting an example

Can you reduce the expression of the FTO gene in children?

• 75 overweight children went through an lifestyle intervention for 6 months

• 40 boys, 35 girls

• Average BMI was 30.4 (plus/minus 5.5)

• Average was 12.6 (plus/minus 2.6)

• Conducted the study to measure BMI, FTO gene expression and relative fat mass before and after the intervention.

• Importance?

References• Loos, R. F., & Bouchard, C. C. (2008). FTO: the first gene contributing to

common forms of human obesity. Obesity Reviews, 9(3), 246-250. doi:10.1111/j.1467-789X.2008.00481.x

 • Madsen, M., Birck, M. M., Fredholm, M., & Cirera, S. (2010). Expression

Studies of the Obesity Candidate Gene FTO in Pig. Animal Biotechnology, 21(1), 51-63. doi:10.1080/10495390903381792

 • Schum, J. J., Blumenstock, G. G., Weber, K. K., Schweizer, R. R., Pfaff, C. C.,

Schurr, N. N., & ... Ehehalt, S. S. (2012). Variants of the FTO Gene in Obese Children and their Impact on Body Composition and Metabolism before and after Lifestyle Intervention. Experimental & Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes,

 • Scott, R. A., Bailey, M. S., Moran, C. N., Wilson, R. H., Fuku, N., Tanaka, M.,

& ... Pitsiladis, Y. P. (2010). FTO genotype and adiposity in children: physical activity levels influence the effect of the risk genotype in adolescent males. European Journal Of Human Genetics, 18(12), 1339-1343.