A Gene that orders Obese to eat more

If you think obese people eat more just because they are greedy, you are wrong, for a study has revealed that their bodies are genetically programmed to demand more calories.

Researchers at Aberdeen University have carried out the study and discovered that people who carry a variation of a gene linked to increased obesity eat more food as compared to those without it.

"We have found the first hard evidence linking the 'at risk' variant of the gene with increased food intake in humans - our data clearly suggests that people with this variant of the FTO gene may become fatter as they are driven to consume more food.

"Because this over consumption may be driven by their genes, it may be far harder for such people to control their intake than people who do not carry 'at risk' variants of food intake control genes.

"Greater consumption of food doesn't mean that people are being greedy," lead researcher John Speakman was quoted by British newspaper the Daily Telegraph as saying. The researchers came to the conclusion after analysing 150 people in the north-east of Scotland, aged 21 to 60.

They monitored their food intake over seven days and took blood samples and other measurements of physical fitness and then calculated the amount of energy burnt while they were actually resting.

The results showed that people with the variant gene ate between 120 and 290 calories per day more than those who did not have the "at risk" variant.