With obesity rates at an all time high, researchers from the International Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) have analyzed the DNA of over 300,000 individuals in the hopes to discover how genes affect obesity. There are several risk factors that can contribute to obesity. People with a higher waist to hip ratio, are more likely to have fat around their stomach. This can make them susceptible to more cardiovascular problems or diseases such as diabetes. By determining how genes can affect the location of fat deposits, researchers hope to better understand diseases that arise due to obesity. The genes that are thought to play a role in the location of fat deposit was previously understood as important in the creation of adipose tissue. Researchers have found 97 different regions within the human genome that can influence a person's obesity rates. However this is only the beginning. The next step for researchers will to see how these genes increase a person's chances to gain weight.
I found this article to be interesting because many times we are focused on treatment rather than prevention. Over the summer I shadowed several doctors and they were all treating patients based on what they were presenting at the moment. Don't get me wrong, we need to help sick people when they are sick, but think of all the money we would save by catching an illness before it presented itself. Obesity is a growing problem in America. With research like this we can help patients that are at risk for obesity and help them to make lifestyle changes early in their life.
Article Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/289343.php
"... treating patients based on what they were presenting at the moment.... we need to help sick people when they are sick, but think of all the money we would save by catching an illness before it presented itself." Treating people is the job of a doctor, but it is the researchers who develop means prevention such as with the flu shot. Yes we would save money by catching a disease early on, but a broad spectrum of random testing on each individual would cost even more money than treating symptoms. Doctors are there to treat patients and gather data. The researchers will then use that data to determine the most commonly occurring "illness" and develop preventatives, if possible.
ReplyDeleteVeslyne, I agree with you. Obesity is a growing problem in America. More than one-third of the U.S. adults are obese. This research sheds light on the prevention of obesity related health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
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