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- December 2009
- Is childhood obesity linked to your genes?
Is childhood obesity linked to your genes?
9 December 2009: Faults in sections of your DNA can lead to childhood obesity, according to research.
Scientists looked at 300 children with severe obesity. They studied each child’s DNA and checked for particular faults, known as copy number variants (CNVs). CNVs are missing parts (deletions) or duplications of sections of your DNA.
The researchers found that certain parts of DNA were missing in some children with severe obesity.
The results of the study suggest that deletions in chromosome number 16, in particular in a gene called SH2B1, are linked with childhood obesity. SH2B1 is involved in how the hormones leptin and insulin work. Leptin, which is made by your fat cells, controls your appetite and insulin regulates your blood sugar levels.
Children with deletions in the SH2B1 gene had abnormally increased appetites. They also had severe insulin resistance, which means their cells do not respond to insulin properly. Insulin helps your cells absorb glucose, where it is then converted into energy. If you are insulin resistant, glucose can build up in your bloodstream and levels of insulin need to be higher than normal to control your blood sugar level.
Dr Sneh Khemka, medical director for Bupa International, said: “These findings are very interesting and show that in a small number of children, obesity may be caused by faults in their genes. However, this is only the case for the minority. The majority of obese children are overweight simply because they consume more calories than they burn off.
“It is important that parents take responsibility for the health of their children and this includes preventing obesity. Get your child up and about as much as possible. This can be anything from skipping and dancing, to running or swimming. You should also make sure your child eats a healthy balanced diet, so cut down on junk food and sugary treats and replace them with healthy snacks such as fresh fruit.”
Key facts
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Childhood obesity rates are rapidly increasing. In 2007, about 22 million children under the age of five were overweight throughout the world.
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If your child is overweight or obese, it is more likely that he or she will develop some serious health problems more often seen in adulthood, such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
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Overweight children are twice as likely to be obese when they grow up, compared with children who are not overweight.
- As well as being a risk to a child's health, being overweight as a child may also cause emotional problems. Teasing about his or her appearance can affect a child's confidence and self-esteem, and can lead to isolation and depression.
Contact us
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To discuss your needs, please call us on:
+44 (0) 1273 718 306
It is important that parents take responsibility for the health of their children and this includes preventing obesity.
Dr Sneh Khemka
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