A newly discovered gene, found in every cell in the human body, may be the cause of obesity according to a recent study by scientists at The University of British Columbia.
In lab tests involving mice, the scientists were able to shrink “white fat” cells by 50 percent without reducing the amount of food eaten. White fat is associated with obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
The discovery now points the way to possible drug therapies. The scientists’ theory is that by suppressing or blocking this gene they could prevent fat from accumulating in obese people or those on their way to being obese.
According to Statistics Canada, more than 25 percent of Canadians are obese, and worldwide obesity costs $2 trillion annually.
Childhood obesity is still on the rise. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 20 percent of American children are obese, twice as many as there were 20 years ago. The Montreal Children’s Hospital lists several factors leading to childhood obesity, such as too little activity, watching too much television and bad food choices.
Also, a new study cited in Awake magazine, points to authoritarian parents as a significant cause of obesity in children. It states that parents who enforce rigid rules and show little affection toward their children are 30 percent more likely to have obese children.
The Baylor College of Medicine suggests helping your children make choices that make them feel valuable to build their self esteem. Their experts claim that children who value themselves are more likely to make healthier choices in the foods they eat and their activities.
UBC scientists say that they don’t fully understand how fat cells are created but the discovery of the gene will be useful in the prevention of obesity.
