Obesity
Obesity. Weight gain. Diet. Exercise. Obesity and weight are big business, and an even bigger health problem. Our current lifestyle is the perfect recipe for obesity. Humans adapted to hard physical labor and low food supplies, not abundance and leisure. Consistent exercise and a sensible diet still help to fend off obesity and its associated problems, which include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other serious conditions. But a genetic predisposition to store energy overcomes behavioral efforts for many people, and obesity is at epidemic levels in the U.S.
The genetic predisposition equation for obesity is actually very complicated. Hundreds of genes have been implicated in weight regulation. Perhaps the most exciting breakthrough came with the discovery of leptin, based on work by The Jackson Laboratory’s own Doug Coleman. But while leptin research yielded very useful therapies for some morbidly obese patients, even it didn’t provide a magic pill. Nonetheless, current research into how genes interact and contribute to our risk offers hope that the obesity epidemic can be halted.
Obesity research at The Jackson Laboratory
Obesity starts with cell-by-cell adipose (fat) accumulation, and research at The Jackson Laboratory investigates the surprisingly intricate process. There are also efforts to identify new obesity and type 2 diabetes mutations and their genetic modifiers.
