Author Interviews, Genetic Research, JAMA, Weight Research / 18.02.2014
Obesity: Linked to Genetics of Appetite and Satiety
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr Clare Llewellyn PhD Cpsychol
Lecturer in Behavioural Obesity Research
Health Behaviour Research Centre
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health
University College London, London
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Llewellyn:This study indicated that appetite – and, in particular, satiety sensitivity (how quickly you feel full during eating, or how long you remain full after eating) – could be one of the mechanisms through which ‘obesity genes’ influence body weight.
We know that body weight has a strong genetic basis, but the mechanisms through which ‘obesity genes’ influence weight are largely unknown.
We showed that children with a higher genetic predisposition to obesity (estimated from a score comprising 28 known obesity-related genes) not only had more body fat (a larger BMI and waist circumference), but importantly they were also less sensitive to satiety.
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