A recent study published a few days ago in the Nature Medicine magazine revealed the importance of analyzing the genetic characteristics responsible for the ability to obesity in genes early in life, to prevent the danger of obesity; Whether it is early in childhood or later in the long run. The study was conducted by researchers from the universities of Copenhagen and Bristol in the United Kingdom.
Obesity: genetic and environmental factors
Obesity is known to be one of the most important global medical problems an effect on the general health of individuals, and one of the main reasons for the spread of type 2 diabetes in children, and cardiovascular disease. There are many factors that contribute to their development, including genetic and environmental factors, lifestyle and diet. Most of these factors differ throughout the life of a person, but most of them arise in childhood.
The scale of the risk of multi -genetic
The global research team created a scale called the Polygenic Risk Score for obesity in adults, relying on genetic data for more than 5 million people taken from several research centers, such as the GINT (GIANT). This data is the largest genetic database in number and the most diverse ever.
The genetic group included individuals of several origins representing most of the races in order to comprehensively for different genetic qualities. The percentage of people of European descent was about 70 percent, 14 percent of American origin, 8.4 percent of East Asian origins, and 4.6 percent of African descent.
Monitoring children most vulnerable to obesity
This scale helps in identifying children and adolescents that are more likely to develop obesity in later stages of life, and therefore obesity can be prevented early, through various interventions, such as changing lifestyle and a healthy diet.
The researchers pointed out that the discovery of obese genetic indicators in children before the age of five, with the BMI (BMI) contributes to early protection from obesity, before other risk factors begin to form weight later in childhood; Especially with the increase in children’s demand for smartphones, lack of physical activity, and the spread of a fast food culture. In total, the genetic measurement was twice more effective in predicting obesity than any other test.
Thousands of genetic variables
Micro -differences in genes can significantly affect health; Especially when it interferes with other environmental factors. The researchers identified thousands of genetic variables that increase the risk of obesity on children, studied the rest of the factors that affect the brain and control appetite. They said that the genetic scale is similar to a huge calculator that collects very large data from the different risk variables that each person carries, and provides a total degree of risk.
Early intervention in childhood presents obesity
The researchers said that the genetic factors for increasing the possibility of obesity do not necessarily mean that the child will inevitably develop obesity. They emphasized that preventing obesity is possible with early intervention, changing lifestyle, and adhering to healthy food, so that the ideal weight can be maintained. But of course, these individuals are more likely to restore weight faster when health interventions stop.
The study emphasized that the ability to predict the risk factors for obesity varies according to the ethnic origins; Where the best results were in individuals of European descent, and this may be due to the high volume of European representation in the genetic database.
