Obesity Gene: Boosting Appetite-Controlling Protein May Help

New findings published in the journal Cell Reports reveal that a variation in the gene for brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) may cause less production of appetite-controlling proteins that play a strong role in obesity risk for some children and adults.

The BDNF protein is particularly important as it's responsible for providing that feeling of fullness that comes (hopefully) after eating a meal, according to MedicalXpress. Previous research has shown that this problem is more commonly seen in black and Hispanic people than in white people, but boosting BDNF protein levels may help to reduce that risk.

"The BDNF gene has previously been linked to obesity, and scientists have been working for several years to understand how changes in this particular gene may predispose people to obesity," said Dr. Jack Yanovski, an investigator at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, in a news release. "This study explains how a single genetic change in BDNF influences obesity and may affect BDNF protein levels. Finding people with specific causes of obesity may allow us to evaluate effective, more-personalized treatments."

During the study, researchers examined over 31,000 men and women--studying the gene in four groups of people who had also enrolled in clinical research studies, including PAGE, HANDLS and Viva La Familia. When deciphering between genes, researchers called the most common BDNF gene "T," while they referred to the rare one that produces less of the protein as "C," comparing people with two copies of the common gene with those who have one or two of the rare gene.

Researchers found that higher BMI and body fat percentages were seen in both black adults and Hispanic children who had CT or CC combination of genes. A CC genetic combination was also more closely linked to a higher BMI and body fat than CT or TT combinations. 

Obesity continues to pose a serious threat for many children and adults in the United States. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that more than one-third of adults are obese and childhood obesity has more than doubled in children within the last 30 years. 

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