Gene Might Boost Risk for Obesity, Kyoto University Study

A new animal study suggests that a genetic mutation could put certain people at higher risk for becoming obese if they eat high-fat diets. At the moment, the practical uses of the research seem to be limited, but physicians could conceivably test people for the mutation and recommend that they avoid certain kinds of diets, said study co-author Dr. Gozoh Tsujimoto, a professor at Kyoto University's department of genomic drug discovery science in Japan. It may also be possible, Tsujimoto said, to eventually give people drugs to combat the effects of the mutation.