Recent progress in the genetics of common obesity

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Obesity Research
• Human Physiology

Background:

• Common obesity has a significant genetic component, estimated at 40-70% heritability.
• Identifying specific obesity susceptibility genes has been challenging despite high heritability.
• Traditional genetic approaches like candidate gene and genome-wide linkage studies yielded limited success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in obesity genetics.
• To highlight key obesity susceptibility loci identified through various genetic studies.
• To discuss the impact of new technologies on obesity gene discovery.

Main Methods:

• Review of candidate gene studies, including large-scale studies and meta-analyses.
• Analysis of genome-wide linkage studies.
• Examination of genome-wide association studies (GWAS).

Main Results:

• Candidate gene studies have identified at least five variants in four genes associated with obesity-related traits.
• Genome-wide linkage studies have not yet pinpointed genetic loci for common obesity.
• Genome-wide association studies have discovered at least 15 novel genetic loci associated with body mass index and extreme obesity risk.

Conclusions:

• Genome-wide association studies have revolutionized obesity gene discovery.
• Newly identified loci, while having small population-level effects, are crucial for understanding obesity pathophysiology.
• Future research will build upon these discoveries to further elucidate the genetic underpinnings of obesity.