Researchers find genes tied to obesity

LONDON, April 13 (UPI) -- Scientists in Britain say they've identified a genetic link to obesity.

The study, published online Friday in the journal Science, found people carrying one copy of the FTO allele have a 30 percent increased risk of being obese compared to a person with no copies. A person carrying two copies of the allele has a 70 percent increased risk of being obese.

One in six white Europeans carry both copies of the allele, the report said.

"Our findings suggest a possible answer to someone who might ask, 'I eat the same and do as much exercise as my friend next door, so why am I fatter?' There is clearly a component to obesity that is genetic," Andrew Hattersley of the Peninsula Medical School said in a release.

"New scientific insights will hopefully pave the way for us to explore novel ways of treating this condition," Mark McCarthy of the University of Oxford said.

WebMD said the study doesn't show how common the FTO gene variation is in people of other ethnic backgrounds.