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Examples Of Gene Promoting Obesity

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Gene Promoting Obesity Genes control almost every aspect of human life, and when it comes to weight there is no exception. Little is known, however, how much of an individual’s genes actually control the weight of certain individuals. Body fat can vary from person to person, yet some people have always carried more weight than others. Often times, when one person is overweight in the family, most of the other individuals in the same family are overweight as well. However, more than just genetics can go into being overweight, and a person’s genes are not the end all be all of obesity. Many times the environment surrounding people who are obese contributes to the overall weight of the individual, and when obesity promoting genes are mixed …show more content…

Some, however, have obesity promoting genes that are much worse, as a disease known as monogenic obesity exists where a single gene produces a high risk of obesity, and it becomes difficult, almost impossible, to reverse (Cimons). This disease is opposite of common obesity, where many genes are involved, and is much harder to treat and study as trying to find only one gene has proven to b difficult. However, there is no question if genes do contribute to being overweight and if this is the case, obesity now becomes much harder to treat and study as finding the exact reason as to why an individual is obese is difficult. Although scientists have identified genes as being one of the factors contributing to obesity, knowing what specific genes involved would be helpful. The Friedman group decided to try and find those specific genes with a series of breeding experiments of mice. The genes were mapped out and the group found a 650-kilobase segment on mouse chromosome 6 to be responsible and named it the ob gene (for obese)(Marx). This means scientists have found a gene responsible for the obese mice which became an important step in finding treatment options for what is now looking like a complicated issue. The next question to answer was whether this gene was being produced in adipose (fat) tissue. This would help determine if the gene was responsible for creating the unneeded fat. The search paid off as one gene was found being

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