Scientists Identify 'Thinness' Genes

A study conducted by scientists at the Imperial College London revealed the genetic cause of extreme thinness that can lead to a syndrome in children known as failure to thrive (FTT). Results showed that people with excessive copies of certain genes have more chances of becoming skinny.

Philippe Frogue, together with other scientists, examines the DNA of more than 95,000 people in search of patterns related to extreme thinness. They discovered that duplication of a section of chromosome 16 with more than 24 genes is strongly correlated to being underweight. Half of all children in the study with this genetic anomaly had FTT. In their previous study, they have found that persons a missing copy of these genes are 43 times more likely to be extremely obese. The findings also serve as an example of a deletion and a duplication in the genome that have opposite effects.

"One reason (the new finding) is important is that it shows that failure to thrive in childhood can be genetically driven. If a child is not eating, it's not necessarily the parents' fault," Froguel said.

For more information, visit http://www.healthpublic.net/2011/08/scientists-identify-thinness-genes.html.