"This variant is linked to only a small increase in weight, but it can lead to obesity in a people who are already overweight and dramatically increase the risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according to the study."

" gene that by being associated with an increased body-mass index [BMI] results in an increased predisposition to both obesity and type 2 diabetes," said study co-author Dr. Andrew Hattersley, a professor of molecular medicine at Peninsula Medical School, in Exeter, U.K."

"One sixth of the population have two copies of this variant, on average, and have three kilograms (6.6 pounds) of additional fat compared with those who don't inherit the variant, Hattersley said. "This increases the risk of obesity by approximately 67 percent and type 2 diabetes by about 40 percent," he said."

"In the study, Hattersley and his colleagues examined 13 studies that included 38,759 people of all ages. The association of this gene variant to obesity was found in people 7 years old and older. The role of the "

"This study further shows that genetic factors are as important as environmental factors in determining which people become overweight and obese, Hattersley said."

" alters the response to a particular lifestyle or by altering eating or exercise alters lifestyle," Hattersley said. "These findings suggests a completely novel and unexpected pathway in the regulation of obesity which might become a target for treatment of diabetes or obesity in the future.""

"One
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