Mutated gene 'found in 4% of people' could help scientists tackle obesity
Researchers found the gene can affect a region of the brain known as the hypothalamus, which controls appetite, food intake, hunger and thirst.
A gene variant that helps regulate body weight could aid in tackling obesity, scientists have said.
The ZFHX3 gene mutation - thought to exist in 4% of people - has been found to control parts of the brain responsible for appetite.
Interesting of course, but wander round a shopping centre and the number of people who might initially lay claim to this gene is rather more than 4%. There were more than that in the Adidas store yesterday, which is supposedly aimed at the athletic look. There are obvious social and economic factors too.
Still interesting though, because people clearly do differ in their ability to regulate food intake. Mrs H and I have no difficulty and perhaps the reality is that we don't regulate our food intake as much as we think, there is a certain degree of autonomous regulation divorced from conscious effort.
It leads to an ambiguous attitude. It is easy enough to think that overweight people should make more effort while being aware that some of us don't have to make much effort at all.
5 comments:
Here's an experiment... if you have a camera that can take pictures in black and white except for a 'pop' of one colour, or if you concentrate carefully, walk around a shopping centre and look for the amount of 'red' in advertising and stores.
Red is both a sign of danger and a sign of 'ripeness' so it makes a strong claim for your attention. Taken together with the 'rewards' of eating sweet and strongly flavoured food it's a wonder we (as a population) aren't more obese that we already are.
Don't fret: the research isn't as pointless as it might seem. Having achieved the necessary publicity they'll be well up the list for further grants . . .
DJ - yes, Costa makes good use of red. It's used in the overhead screens they have for both price lists and advertising. The aroma of freshly baked muffins always seems to waft out of Bakers + Baristas but don't check the calories.
Jannie - I'm sure you are right, it may lead to nothing useful but seems likely to keep the grants coming in.
Must be a recent gene. Maybe concocted by the Gain of Function wizards to boost the so-called Junk Food Industry shares. As well as being an early attempt to reduce World population.
Because there are no fat - sorry - generously proportioned people in those old photographs posted by Moosh, and other pre- 1960s ones.
Doonhamer - and I don't recall seeing people walking around eating fried dough in the 1960s or fried dough vending machines in motorway service areas.
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