Some Cases of Childhood Obesity
A study in the UK has tested for the first time that a genetic alteration can cause extreme obesity in children.
The SH2B1 gene deletion on chromosome 16, is responsible. Besides its scientific importance, this discovery could be the basis of preventive treatments and also serve to stop some blame.
A team of scientists from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), led by Sadaf Farooqi, sought deletions or extra copies of genes in children with extreme obesity (weighing around 100 kilos to ten years).
The results have been described by experts of very relevant, as found in obese children in the gene deletions described above. The work has been published in Nature.
The researchers worked on a population of 300 children from 10 years with extreme obesity, and compared their genes with those of 7366 normal weight children. SH2B1 gene plays a major role in regulating the body and the use of energy from food, with involvement of leptin and insulin molecules.
The deletion of this gene greatly increases appetite and therefore the weight of the sufferer. Hence the disproportionate obesity of children with this deficiency.
The consequences of this discovery are numerous and very important. First, it has great scientific significance and will move forward in the not too distant future, gene therapy solutions to combat obesity.
But more immediately, the identification of this gene deficiency in infants (which can be done in the present, but analysis is not routinely performed) would identify the risk cases and to apply these treatments Early balanced diet and exercise to prevent obesity. You should also have to undergo treatment to prevent the development of diabetes, something that would also be more likely.
But in addition, this finding confirms what was already suspected: Many cases of extreme obesity, both children and adults (it has been tested in children who will one day be adults and maintain this gap and, therefore, the same trend extreme obesity), have genetic causes.
Therefore, in these cases, we must combat the problem, but throwing blame, both in regard to oneself as to our children.