Two new genetic studies provide insights into the biology of obesity, according to findings reported in the journal Nature.
In a study of waist-to-hip ratios in more than 244,000 individuals, Dr. Dmitry Shungin of Umea University in Sweden and his colleagues identified 49 genetic locations associated with fat deposits, 19 of which had a stronger effect on women. In a simultaneously published study of body mass index (BMI) in nearly 340,000 patients, investigators identified 97 genetic locations associated with BMI, reported Dr. Adam E. Locke and colleagues at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
“This work is the first step toward finding individual genes that play key roles in body shape and size,” said a University of Michigan statement. “The proteins these genes help produce could become targets for future drug development.”
Read the full article by Dr. Shungin here and the full article by Dr. Locke here .
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