Evidence mounts on overeating and obesity link to gene

Published on Sunday 11 January 2009 19:53

FURTHER evidence that gluttony can be genetic has been uncovered by British scientists.

Researchers studied 131 children aged four and five who were offered a plate of biscuits right after eating a meal. They found children who kept eating biscuits were more likely to have versions of a gene which has been linked to eating when full and being overweight.

Professor Jane Wardle, director of the charity Cancer Research UK's Health Behaviour Research Centre at University College London said: "Previous research has shown the FTO gene is linked to larger body size. We believe this (new] research tells us more about how some children are more responsive to signals in their bodies encouraging them to eat when full than others. Knowing how the genes work is the first step to minimising these negative effects."

Prof Wardle added: "This study showed some children don't know when to stop, which could lead to the onset of obesity and a lifetime of health problems".

The new study failed to find any link between the FTO gene and children's willingness to take exercise.

&#149 PEOPLE who are borderline obese are almost a third more likely to develop bowel cancer than those of a normal weight, a cancer scientist warned today.

Dr Rachel Thompson, science programme manager for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), said people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 have a 30 per cent higher risk of bowel cancer than someone with a BMI of 20, which is the lower end of the healthy weight range.

Dr Thompson said: "The evidence that being overweight increases your risk of cancer is stronger now than ever before.