Obesity and Weight Management

Genetics of Obesity

Obesity is very heritable. Obesity can be a complicating disorder resulting from the interactions of a wide variety of hereditary and environmental factors. Polymorphisms in various genes controlling appetite and metabolism predispose to obesity under certain dietary conditions. One gene mutation, the melanocortin 4 receptor, may be responsible for tens of thousands of cases of obesity. Monogenic type of genetic mutation can result in severe forms of obesity that run in families. Occurrences of monogenic kinds of overweight are evidence that obesity may be caused by genetic mutations. The most common forms of obesity are probably the result of variations within a large number of genes.

• Hereditary Factors
• Genetic Syndromes
• Biological pathways