Geneticists Seek Obesity Clues On Islands

On the Pacific island of Kosrae, scientists hope to find answers to one of the biggest mysteries about obesity: What genes nudge some people toward getting fat? Many studies indicate genes influence weight, although they don't control it completely. But identifying the responsible genes is difficult, because in most cases many genes work together to promote obesity, each exerting such a small effect that it's hard to detect. So researchers have turned to confined populations that are prone to obesity. The idea is that since such a group draws its genes from a relatively restricted gene pool, the genetic variants responsible for obesity should be easier to find. By identifying such variants, scientists hope to get a better understanding of the biological causes of obesity in the general population. That in turn could lead to better treatments, or at least a way to identify people at risk of becoming obese so that they could take preventive steps.

Back to news