"Yes, for those who had a diet where less than 41 percent of the energy consumed came from fat, obesity was not more common, in spite of the inherited risk" says Emily Sonestedt.The FTO genes acts 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."It could be that the carriers of the risk gene don't feel as full from eating fat and therefore consume more and gain weight" says Emily Sonestedt.

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 shows that we are not slaves to our genes. Even if we are born with an inherited predisposition to obesity, life style is important" says Emily Sonestedt.

ludc.med.lu.se/