Scientists find how obesity gene works, a clue to treatment - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Scientists have finally figured out how the key gene tied to obesity makes people fat, a major discovery that could open the door to an entirely new approach to the problem beyond diet and exercise. The work solves a big mystery: Since 2007, researchers have known that a gene called FTO was related to obesity, but they didn't know how, and could not tie it to appetite or other known factors. Now experiments reveal that a faulty version of the gene causes energy from food to be stored as fat rather than burned. Genetic tinkering in mice and on human cells in the lab suggests this can be reversed, giving hope that a drug or other treatment might be developed to do the same in people. The work was led by scientists at MIT and Harvard University and published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine. The discovery challenges the notion that "when people get obese it was basically their own choice because they choose to eat too much or not exercise," said study leader Melina Claussnitzer, a genetics specialist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "For the first time, genetics has revealed a mechanism in obesity that was not really suspected before" and gives a third explanation or factor that's involved. The FTO gene turns out to influence obesity indirectly, as a master switch that affects two other genes that control thermogenesis, or burning off energy. It's long been known that brown or beige fatty tissue — the so-called "good fat" — burns calories, while the more common white fat stores them. The body constantly makes fat cells, and the two genes determine whether they become brown or white ones. In one experiment described in the medical journal, researchers blocked the faulty gene's effect in mice and found they became 50 percent leaner than other mice despite eating a high-fat diet, and burned more energy even when asleep. In other tests on human cells, blocking the gene's effect increased energy burning in fat cells. Editing out the problem gene in human cells in the lab also restored normal metabolic function.[/QUOTE] [url]https://uk.news.yahoo.com/scientists-obesity-gene-works-clue-treatment-210425780.html#nvXJCvO[/url]

I call my obesity gene "sedentary lifestyle"

[QUOTE=Ripmax;48500125][url]https://uk.news.yahoo.com/scientists-obesity-gene-works-clue-treatment-210425780.html#nvXJCvO[/url][/QUOTE] 8 years to figure out how to edit out the FTO gene? This thing seems bullshit.

I read this earlier on a Norwegian website. The two articles are frighteningly similar...

Oh i've heard of the controversial treatment for this. Something called "diet and exercise". Weird huh?

Well, diet exercise and NO SUGAR(Within reason no more than 10% of Daily calorie intake)! Sugar is the big culprit in food. This seems more like "well this gene makes us store fat so let's disable it so people can continue to eat whatever they want, what could possibly go wrong"

You guys are fucking dense, this gene is correlated with an increased risk of obesity, and this new discovery uncovers the mechanism by which this happens. Yes, diet and exercise is the most basic and effective method of weight control, but understanding how this gene increases the risk for obesity is a step forward towards combating obesity as a whole.

[QUOTE=Headhumpy;48500528]You guys are fucking dense, this gene is correlated with an increased risk of obesity, and this new discovery uncovers the mechanism by which this happens. Yes, diet and exercise is the most basic and effective method of weight control, but understanding how this gene increases the risk for obesity is a step forward towards combating obesity as a whole.[/QUOTE] Wouldn't be an obesity related thread if half the posts didn't ignore the article and use the thread as a chance to shit on fat people

[QUOTE=Headhumpy;48500528]You guys are fucking dense, this gene is correlated with an increased risk of obesity, and this new discovery uncovers the mechanism by which this happens. Yes, diet and exercise is the most basic and effective method of weight control, but understanding how this gene increases the risk for obesity is a step forward towards combating obesity as a whole.[/QUOTE] I'm just saying that even with the distinction between brown and white fat, different metabolic rates and so on, weight loss or gain is simply a matter of calories in calories out.

[QUOTE=amos106;48500761]Wouldn't be an obesity related thread if half the posts didn't ignore the article and use the thread as a chance to shit on fat people[/QUOTE] More like people who have no medical knowledge try to sound smart. Just because you took physical education and health class in high school doesn't make you qualified to give advice. Leave that to doctors lol.

Splice me up, Frank.

"Obesity gene" ......................

There has to be alot more to this, I'm no expert on nutrition or metabolic biology but I would have to imagine that metabolic pathways have to be tied with more than one gene. Cool that they found this though. Probably just labeling it as "Obesity gene" for sensationalism sake.

NUtritionists HATE Him!!!

Is the clue diet and exercise? Because if it is a lot of fat people are gonna be unhappy!

The thing that a lot of people are forgetting here is that there are individual differences between people, such as efficiency at digesting and absorbing nutrients, and ability to become satiated. If someone has a genetic predisposition towards poor inhibition of the food seeking drive we all have, as well as an above average digestive track, then they will take on drastically more weight than someone with the opposite of those two traits.

The cure to obesity is to get up off your arse and do something

[QUOTE=Karmah;48502009]The thing that a lot of people are forgetting here is that there are individual differences between people, such as efficiency at digesting and absorbing nutrients, and ability to become satiated. If someone has a genetic predisposition towards poor inhibition of the food seeking drive we all have, as well as an above average digestive track, then they will take on drastically more weight than someone with the opposite of those two traits.[/QUOTE] Genetics play a fairly minuscule role (in probably 9/10 cases) though as everyone is more or less genetically exactly the same. Appetite is something that is conditioned over time most of the time, people who get morbidly obese usually have bad eating habits as children too, which are usually learned from the parents. I would say we are all more or less born with about the same need for food since it's such a basic core trait, but an infant and child develops according to the environment that it is put in. So for some this would be a very hard cycle to break, but you can get used to eating a lot or you can get used to eating less if you choose to, and if you have no choice but to do it it becomes a lot less difficult. (When have you ever seen a fat starving person?) Humans are the most adaptable species on the planet, we can live however we want to. Just have to be a little self aware and have a little willpower.

I can eat whatever I want, sit at a computer for 12+ hours a day, not exercise, and still remain rail thin. My roommate eats healthy and spends many hours each week exercising, yet still is overweight (though she has lost lots of weight since beginning that regime over a year ago). Clearly that's anecdotal, but I'm willing to bet genes play more than just "10%" in regards to fat vs burn rates on caloric intake.

[QUOTE=bord2tears;48502135]I can eat whatever I want, sit at a computer for 12+ hours a day, not exercise, and still remain rail thin. My roommate eats healthy and spends many hours each week exercising, yet still is overweight (though she has lost lots of weight since beginning that regime over a year ago). Clearly that's anecdotal, but I'm willing to bet genes play more than just "10%" in regards to fat vs burn rates on caloric intake.[/QUOTE] And whenever you actually decide to count your calories you'll understand you're probably eating like a whopping 2000 (or even less) I've heard so many gym buddies say the exact same thing until I made them eat 3500, and they could barely keep themselves from puking from the sheer amount of food

[QUOTE=NotMeh;48502172]And whenever you actually decide to count your calories you'll understand you're probably eating like a whopping 2000 (or even less) I've heard so many gym buddies say the exact same thing until I made them eat 3500, and they could barely keep themselves from puking from the sheer amount of food[/QUOTE] As someone who used to actually be big into bodybuilding (but I just lift for health and do martial arts and stuff now) this is absolutely true. When I was 135lbs at 6'0 i thought I ate a lot and I had the same sedentary lifestyle. Then I tried to eat 3000-3500 calories a day and it was nearly impossible for me, but eventually got up to like 210lbs -ish. Now I don't eat quite as much but still a healthy amount and am about 175lbs.

I want to get a degree in biology and just scam SJWs for research funding and spend all the money on a salary and be like "YEP We're finding out a lot about the fat genes. Mhm, yep, it's the thyroid" without doing any real research

[QUOTE=Perfumly;48502050]Genetics play a fairly minuscule role (in probably 9/10 cases) though as everyone is more or less genetically exactly the same.[/QUOTE] I might agree with you if the OP didn't say literally the opposite. [quote]In one experiment described in the medical journal, researchers blocked the faulty gene's effect in mice and found they became 50 percent leaner than other mice despite eating a high-fat diet, and burned more energy even when asleep.[/quote] Obviously learned behavior and habits have a huge role and ultimately it is calories in/calories out, but if there's a fault gene radically altering the amount of calories you burn then clearly that's a genetic factor that could contribute to obesity. Which is exactly what the article is about.

It's kind of astonishing, the amount of people who don't even take the time to read the article before dropping their epic zinger.

[QUOTE=catbarf;48502696]I might agree with you if the OP didn't say literally the opposite. Obviously learned behavior and habits have a huge role and ultimately it is calories in/calories out, but if there's a fault gene radically altering the amount of calories you burn then clearly that's a genetic factor that could contribute to obesity. Which is exactly what the article is about.[/QUOTE] There's also this though: [QUOTE]The gene glitch doesn't explain all obesity. It was found in 44 percent of Europeans but only 5 percent of blacks, so other genes clearly are at work, and food and exercise still matter. Having the glitch doesn't destine you to become obese but may predispose you to it. People with two faulty copies of the gene (one from Mom and one from Dad) weighed an average of 7 pounds more than those without them. But some were obviously a lot heavier than that, and even 7 pounds can be the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy weight, said Manolis Kellis, a professor at MIT.[/QUOTE]

There is actual evidence, but I've got some anecdotal evidence for you guys: I've inherited shit teeth from my Russian dad but my brother didn't, and even though we eat the same food, I still get more cavities and have more problems in general despite having a better oral hygiene routine. I've got a family member who has been chubby since childhood (and is now pretty overweight), but none of her 4 siblings had weight problems like her. The only one who's come close has birthed a bunch of kids. Genetics are a big factor in your life. If you've got bad genes, the deck can be stacked against you.

[QUOTE=GoDong-DK;48502894]There's also this though:[/QUOTE] No one said that it automatically made you obese. Just like how no one says oncogenes automatically make you get cancer. They do, however, increase your risk of getting it over your lifetime.

[QUOTE=Perfumly;48502050]Genetics play a fairly minuscule role (in probably 9/10 cases) though as everyone is more or less genetically exactly the same. Appetite is something that is conditioned over time most of the time, people who get morbidly obese usually have bad eating habits as children too, which are usually learned from the parents. I would say we are all more or less born with about the same need for food since it's such a basic core trait, but an infant and child develops according to the environment that it is put in. So for some this would be a very hard cycle to break, but you can get used to eating a lot or you can get used to eating less if you choose to, and if you have no choice but to do it it becomes a lot less difficult. (When have you ever seen a fat starving person?) Humans are the most adaptable species on the planet, we can live however we want to. Just have to be a little self aware and have a little willpower.[/QUOTE] Yes, adaptable species. Species adapt by creating individuals with varied genes. So yes, we can live however we want to as a species, but individuals don't have the same ability to adapt. For example with my metabolism it's practically impossible for me to increase my body fat percentage over 5% or have it stay up, let alone with "a little self-awerness and willpower". Whether this is a result of genes or environment I grew up in doesn't matter one way or another right now.

[QUOTE=CreeplyTuna;48513932]There is actual evidence, but I've got some anecdotal evidence for you guys: I've inherited shit teeth from my Russian dad but my brother didn't, and even though we eat the same food, I still get more cavities and have more problems in general despite having a better oral hygiene routine. I've got a family member who has been chubby since childhood (and is now pretty overweight), but none of her 4 siblings had weight problems like her. The only one who's come close has birthed a bunch of kids. Genetics are a big factor in your life. If you've got bad genes, the deck can be stacked against you.[/QUOTE] the problem isnt genetics; we already know genetics play a large role in affected people who have weight issues. that's been known for a while now. the problem is people who haven't had a medically certified professional confirm their weight problems with genetics who DO claim it is genetics without the proof. plenty of people miscontrue their eating habits and assume they just have a "slow metabolism" or some nonsense, not knowing theyre easily outconsuming the amount of calories they expend a day.

I'm sort of been rather confused as of lately. I've attempted to eat less/more healthy, but all it resulted in is damn near narcolepsy from exhaustion and extreme irritability. And extreme indigestion to the point I feel like throwing up. In my younger days I have been so hungry a couple of times I threw up pure stomach acid. I've been unable to lose weight at all. When I exercise, I get tired out faster than everyone else I know for as long as I can remember, and was told I was faking it constantly. Also once I start sweating, game over. That's pretty much pure concentrated energy leaving my body to the point where I literally cannot recover from exhaustion no matter how much fluids I take in. I've also been told by doctors that I have Alpha Thalmassemia and that it means my body doesn't absorb nutrients properly and puts me with chronic anmeia, could this gene and my genetic disorder be making it nigh impossible to lose weight?