Differing response of body weight gain to high fat diet treatment in the mouse

Forty-eight mice maintained on a high fat diet supplement in addition to regular laboratory rodent chow responded differently in terms of body weight gain over a period of six weeks. Eleven mice gained weight that was comparable to body weights of mice given only chow for the same period of time while the others gained significantly higher body weights and became obese despite similar level of energy intakes. The increase in body weight was due to increase in body fat content as noted by carcass analysis. The differential response of the mice to identical dietary treatment in causing obesity or not in mice is discussed.