Is obesity heritable? Connection between genetics and overweight

J. Hebebrand, Essen

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has assumed epidemic proportions during the last decades in developed and advanced developing countries. Formal genetic studies have shown that 60-80 % of the variance of the body mass index can be explained by direct and indirect genetic factors.

During human evolution ‘thrifty genotypes’ helped individuals to survive famines. A system evolved that utilizes and stores energy very efficiently. Currently, this genetic make-up is challenged by an environment, where high caloric food is cheap and abundant. This might explain why a considerable part of the population becomes overweight under current environmental conditions.

The molecular-biological analysis of obesity as a polygenic disease is a rapidly increasing research field. Hopefully, knowledge about the heritable components of body weight will help to reduce the stigmatisation of extremely obese individuals. In the near future bio-molecular research might open up new opportunities for the pharmacological treatment of obesity.

Keywords: Obesity / overweight / development / genetic factors / environmental factors

Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs-Umschau 03/05 ab Seite 90.