Research shows how common obesity gene drives weight gain

Scientists in the US have made a new discovery about how a gene commonly linked to obesity contributes to weight gain.

The team from Columbia University Medical Center has examined how variations in the FTO gene can indirectly affect the function of the primary cilium, a hair-like appendage found on brain and other cells.

Specific abnormalities of these cilium molecules can in turn increase body weight by affecting the function of receptors for leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite. This process was observed in trials conducted using mice.

As such, the researchers believe it may be possible to modify obesity through interventions that alter the function of the cilium, creating a new avenue for treating the condition.

Study leader Dr Rudolph Leibel, professor of paediatrics and medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, said: "The better we can understand the molecular machinery of obesity, the better we will be able to manipulate these mechanisms and help people lose weight."

A government survey published in 2012 found that 26 percent in England are obese, a trend that is expected to continue to gather pace in the years to come.