Metabolic differences and the development of obesity

Metabolism. 1995 Sep;44(9 Suppl 3):12-4. doi: 10.1016/0026-0495(95)90312-7.

Abstract

Studies, such as those on Pima Indians, have shown that metabolic factors are involved in the development of obesity and that being overweight is not simply a result of "sloth and gluttony." However, the environment also affects the development of obesity. Among individuals in a given environment, the variability in body size is influenced by genetically determined responses to that environment. People with a low metabolic rate (adjusted for body size and composition) are prone to weight gain, whereas those with a high level of spontaneous physical activity are less likely to become obese. Similarly, individuals with a high 24-hour respiratory quotient (RQ) are more likely to gain weight than those with a low RQ. Insulin sensitivity (not insulin resistance) is another metabolic predictor of obesity. Genetic linkage studies suggest a number of genes are linked to the development of obesity. By sibling-pair linkage analysis, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was found to be linked to the percentage of body fat, and other studies have shown that fat cell production of TNF-alpha is greater in obese individuals.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Arizona / epidemiology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / complications
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / ethnology
  • Environment
  • Genes / genetics
  • Humans
  • Indians, North American
  • Insulin Resistance
  • Obesity / etiology
  • Obesity / genetics
  • Obesity / metabolism*
  • Weight Gain