The researchers say their findings also show the gene sequence is significantly more common in those with Asian Indian rather than European ancestry.

The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, could lead to better ways of treating obesity, researchers said.

Scientists from Imperial College London and other international institutions discovered the sequence is associated with a nearly 1-inch expansion in waist circumference, a 4-pound gain in weight, along with a tendency to become resistant to insulin, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. The sequence is found in 50 percent of the U.K. population.

"Until now, we have understood remarkably little about the genetic component of common problems linked with obesity, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes," said Imperial College London Professor Jaspal Kooner, the paper's senior author. "Finding such a close association between a genetic sequence and significant physical effects is very important, especially when the sequence is found in half the population.”

The study is detailed in the journal Nature Genetics.