Fatty food cravings are in our DNA - research

Discussion of a fat gene is nothing new, though a recent study has found new evidence to support the idea that our weight could be linked to certain biological factors. Given the severity of obesity throughout the world, scientists are always trying to find new treatment and cures. Researchers from Imperial College London looked into whether certain genetic variants can cause some people to be more likely to experience cravings for fatty and sugary junk foods than others.

The study was small: researchers looked at the DNA of 45 white European adults aged between 19-55 in a bid to identify the presence of variants surrounding two genes, the FTO gene and the DRD2 gene, that have been associated with obesity predisposition and food cravings respectively.

Fried food appeal

Volunteers were asked to look at photos of a range of food, from high-calorie fatty and sugar-laden snacks to low-calorie foods. They were then asked to rate their level of appeal, while their brain activity was measured by a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

The volunteers who had a variant near the FTO gene (the gene associated with a predisposition towards obesity) ranked the high-calorie foods as very appealing and displayed more activity in certain areas of the brain where feelings of reward and cravings for taste and food are represented. This means that these unhealthy foods are likely to trigger stronger cravings in some people than others. People who have variants in the FTA and DRD2 genes may benefit from personalised treatment

Dr. Tony Goldstone, who lead the study told Medical News Today: "It means they may experience more cravings than the average person when presented with high-calorie foods - that is, those high in fat and/or sugar - leading them to eat more of these foods."

Researchers said the findings might mean that people with the FTO and DRD2 gene variants might benefit from certain, personalised treatments.

-telegraph.co.uk