Genes Linked to 'Pot' Belly

Genes Linked to 'Pot' Belly -and excess consumption of saturated fats
raises obesity risk, researchers find

THURSDAY, Nov. 5 (HealthDay News) -- New research sheds light on the
possible link between the genes you inherit and the size of your
belly.

Participants in a French study doubled their risk of having fat around
the abdomen if they had a certain genetic trait, and the more of these
traits one had, the greater the risk for a pot belly.

The study was looking at metabolic syndrome, a condition in which
abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure combine to
raise the risk of several diseases such as stroke, heart disease and
type 2 diabetes.

The findings are just one more piece of the obesity puzzle, a
nutrition specialist said.

"Certainly it adds to the body of knowledge, but we need to look at
what it means within the big picture and context of all the other
obesity research," said Lona Sandon, an assistant professor at
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and spokeswoman for
the American Dietetic Association.

Results of the study, which was designed to explore a possible link
between genes and metabolic syndrome, are published in the November
issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

The researchers followed 1,754 French people for seven and a half
years, tracking what they ate. They found that having any one of five
genetic traits doubled the risk that a person would have abdominal
obesity, and that eating a lot of saturated fats boosted the risk even
more. But they also found that having one of the genetic traits didn't
boost the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Sandon said the study doesn't confirm that the genetic trait directly
leads to obesity. The findings, she said, show "an association, not a
cause-and-effect."

Also, she pointed out that while the study found a relationship
between the gene and abdominal obesity, some subjects were consuming
more than 15.5 percent of their calories from saturated fat.

The current recommendation is 10 percent for most healthy people and 7
percent for those with high cholesterol and other metabolic risk
factors for heart disease, she said.

In the larger picture, researchers are beginning to understand how
genetics are connected to obesity and "how those genes are affected by
environment and food components," Sandon said.

"The mystery is how do we put this into real health recommendations,
and how do multiple genes work together to promote or squelch
obesity," she said. "If there were just one gene related to obesity,
the answer might be simple. But we know multiple genes are involved,
so it is difficult to make hard and fast conclusions about what people
should do with this information."

When it comes to obesity, the factors of genetics, diet and exercise
-- or lack thereof -- are indeed "highly entangled," said study co-
author Dr. Richard Planells, a professor of biochemistry at University
of Aix-Marseille II in France.

What to do? At the moment, genetic tests to track these particular
genes aren't feasible. "Many other genes have to be analyzed before
one can design a genetic map," Planells explained.

Even if there was such a test, "the majority of control is always in
your hands," added Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian and author in
New York City. "Even if you have strong genetic predispositions to
obesity or any disease, you are not guaranteed to develop that
disease. Given the exact same lifestyle, yes, you will have a higher
risk, but the bottom line is that the majority of the risk lies in how
you treat your body, and that's empowering."



SOURCES: Lona Sandon, R.D., assistant professor, clinical nutrition,
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas; Richard
Planells, M.D., Ph.D., professor, biochemistry, University of Aix-
Marseille II, Marseille, France; Cynthia Sass, M.P.H., R.D.,
registered dietitian and author, New York City; November 2009, Journal
of Nutrition

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