Researchers have discovered a possible genetic cause

The study provides new information about the importance of a region of the nervous system, the hypothalamus, and its role in common childhood obesity.

Both environmental and genetic factors play a critical role in the increased incidence of childhood obesity. Previous studies show how neural pathways in the hypothalamus regulate food intake and are key regulators of disease.

The study compared the genomes of obese children with those of normal-weight children. The results showed a specific genetic variant, located on chromosome 12, called “rs7132908”, which is only associated with childhood obesity, not adult obesity.

“The variant discovered is associated with one of the strongest genetic signals ever found for childhood obesity,” explains study author Sheridan Littleton.

In experiments, the researchers showed that this variant is potentially associated with a reduction of neurons in the hypothalamic region.

“With further research, there is the potential to discover how this genetic variant could become the target of new therapies specifically designed to treat childhood obesity,” he adds, according to ANSA.

In addition to childhood obesity, the locus in question has been found to be linked to a number of related health problems, including a high susceptibility to type 2 diabetes, an increased percentage of body fat in children and adults, and an earlier age of menstruation.

“This work further emphasizes how the brain is central to the genetics of obesity and provides us with a strategy for further studies,” the researchers conclude.