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Obesity is inherited: How genes shape our relationship with food
EL PAÍS English • • health
Key Points:
- Recent research highlights that genetics significantly influences body mass index (BMI), with studies showing that genetics accounts for about 79% to 94% of the BMI association between parents and children by age eight.
- While genetics plays a major role, experts emphasize that obesity results from the interaction of genes and environment, noting that a healthy environment can mitigate genetic risk.
- The modern obesogenic environment, characterized by abundant cheap and processed foods, has intensified the impact of genetic predisposition on obesity, contributing to the rapid rise in obesity rates over recent decades.
- More than 3,000 genetic variants influence susceptibility to obesity, affecting individuals' responses to food and weight-loss treatments, including the effectiveness of anti-obesity drugs targeting specific hormone receptors.
- Understanding genetic differences challenges the notion that obesity is solely a matter of personal choice or willpower and underscores the need to consider biological inequality alongside environmental factors in addressing the obesity epidemic.
