Malmö, Sweden—High-fat diets and low physical activity levels may increase the susceptibility to obesity in individuals with the risk gene FTO, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Researchers at the Lund University Diabetes Centre said the risk of becoming obese is 2.5 times higher for those who have double copies of FTO. However, this is only true if the fat consumption is high; a low-fat diet neutralizes the harmful effects of the gene. FTO genes act in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates appetite and satiety, and the risk variant has been connected to an increased energy intake, especially in the form of fat.
The finding that the harmful effects of the gene can be cancelled by changing eating habits could, combined with mapping of the effects of other obesity genes, lead to better and more individualized nutritional counseling for those that want to avoid gaining weight.
“This means that the critical factor is what you eat. At least in the case of the FTO gene, the most important obesity gene identified so far,” said Emily Sonestedt, lead researcher. “This shows that we are not slaves to our genes. Even if we are born with an inherited predisposition to obesity, lifestyle is important.”
