Genetics of Obesity Essay

According to the WHO (2010), childishness obesity is ace of the most serious public health challenges of the twenty-first century. Globally, in 2010 the number of over burthen children under the age of 5 is estimated to be over 42 million (WHO, 2010). Obesity corporation be delimit in a number of ways, e.g. by population means, BMI and waist circuit (Odgen, 2012). And according to Kleiser et al (2009), obesity may have several short-term consequences (e.g. social discrimination, lower quality of life, gaind cardiovascular seek factors, diseases resembling asthma) and long-term consequences were obesity is probably to persist into adulthood, were individuals argon more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases e.g. diabetes and cardiovascular disease at a a good deal younger age. It is due to this that a great body of research at heart health psychology has focused on not only the consequences of obesity notwithstanding similarly understanding the causes of obesity, bot h heritable and environmental this is what this see will explore. GeneticsThere have been several theories cat forward by research to best explain the causes obesity and one major potential causes is genetics. Maffeis et al (1998) show that obesity in parents was the crockedest predictor of childhood obesity, regardless of diet or level of activity. Furthermore upstart research has tack support for this claim. Moreover, Wardle et al., (2001, 2006) reported that, controlling for opposite environmental factors, children with obese parents preferred fatty foods, had less liking for vegetables, were more likely to overeat had a laster preference for sedentary activities than did children of normal slant parents. This is further strengthened by more recent research by Kleiser et al (2009) who fix that the strongest determinant of obesity was obesity in parents. disdain the essay for this relationship, Odgen (2012) states that parents and children not only share genetic const itution except also share very similar environments, therefore this relationship in the midst of child and parental obesity could be contributed to either factor. However, according to Barlow (2013) match studies have also have clearly demonstrated a genetic influence on body weight, therefore strengthening the argument for the procedure of genetics in obesity. For instance studies have found 25 40 % of BMI is heritable and identical fit raised apart have been found to have a correlation of .7,only slightly lower than that of twins raised together (Stunkard et al, 1990). Moreover adoption studies have also provided evidence for a genetic component in obesity, Skunkard (1986) found a strong relationship amongst the weight class of the adoptee and their biological parents and interestingly found no relationship with their adoptee parents weight class. seek has also stated that factors much(prenominal) as metabolous rate (Bouchard, 1990) and appetite regulation may also have a role to play in causing obesity. Research in terms of metabolic rate has suggested a low resting metabolic rate is a risk factor for weight gain (Tataranni, 2003), but in fact there is little research to support this. In particular there is no evidence to suggest that overweight peck tend to have slightly higher metabolic rates than delicate people of a similar height (Garrow, 1987 Odgen, 2012). A genetic predisposition may also be related to appetite control. For instance, the discovery of leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin, and other hormones that inuence appetite, satiety, and fat distribution provides insight into metabolic mechanisms for physiological risk of obesity (Maes et al, 1997 Gale et al, 2004).Research, although seen to be in its infancy has yielded support, e.g. Farooqi et al (1999) injected 2 participants casual with leptin, which resulted in decreased food uptake and weight loss at a rate of 1-2kg per month. According to Odgen (2012) there is strong evidence for a gene tic basis to obesity, but it is how this genetic bias expresses itself that remains unclear, due to the fact research on lowered metabolic rate has been wide refuted and the genetics of appetite control remain in its infancy. Furthermore, genetic studies are not without their criticisms. For instance small sample size, zygosity needs to be support and again the role of environmental factors cannot be ignored.Behaviour & Environmental factorsthusly in light of the above criticisms research has begun to more fully analyse the extent to which an individuals behaviour and/or environment can influence the development of obesity. As Barlow (2013) states that at a population level, the increase in prevalence is too rapid to be explained by a genetic shift rather, it must result from changes in eating and somatogenic activity behaviours that have shifted. A recent study by Kileser (2009) found independently of other factors, a positive association was observedbetween obesity and low SES, migration background (up to age 13), parental overweight, high weight gain during pregnancy (when the mother is of normal weight), maternal smoking during pregnancy, high birth weight, and high media consumption, as well as a veto association with sleep duration for 3- to 10-year olds.