Genetics of obesity in humans and animal models

Human obesity has a significant genetic component which contributes to the risk for this disorder. The application of molecular genetic techniques to identify these genes using a variety of approaches, including information from animal models, will help clarify the role of specific genes in the etiology of human obesity. Identification of these genetic mechanisms is likely to lead to new approaches, both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic, for the prevention and treatment of this disease.