Linking genes to obesity

Obesity is proving to be a key challenge for European clinicians and health practitioners. The manner in which individuals respond to weight loss intervention programmes is thought to be the result of genetic and environmental factors but it has received minimal attention from researchers.

Health

The NUGENOB project was aimed at elucidating the specific gene variants involved in dietary responses among a sample of 711 healthy obese subjects. The subjects took part in a 10-week intervention program consisting of a hypocaloric diet with a low or medium fat content. All 711 individuals were genotyped for approximately 40 candidate genes thought to be implicated in obesity. The results are expected to identify specific gene variants affecting response to dietary intervention. Such information can be used for effective predictive diagnosis of obesity and the development of dietary plans better suited for individual needs. The project did endeavour to identify predictors of weight loss including metabolite and hormone levels and disseminate the information for the benefit of clinicians and developers of diagnostic and therapeutic products. The overall aim will be to aid Europe's 135 million obese individuals in making informed dietary choices based on increased knowledge of their specific genetic make-up.