Genetic basis of obesity: a review

Obesity is a state of “positive” energy balance when energy intake in is much greater than energy expenditure. The familial aggregation of body size was first published by Sir Francis Galton in 1889, which become a well-established risk factor for childhood obesity. Obesity is often allied with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease. Monogenic obesity includes the involvements of Leptin (LEP) gene, leptin receptor(LEPR), Proopiomelanocortin (POMC), Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R), single-minded gene 1 (SIM 1), Proprotein convertase subtilisin/ kexin type 1 (PCSK1), Neuropeptide Y (NPY). Polygenic obesity is due to Adrenoceptor beta 1 (ADRB1), ADRB2, ADRB3, Uncoupling protein 1(UCP1), UCP2, UCP3. Monogenic and polygenic obesity; pleiotropic syndromes, chromosomal rearrangement are different types of obesity with genetic cause. Surprisingly all “obesity genes” carriers do not become overweight, and exercise, maintaining healthy routine is a significant contributing factor to nullify genetic prediposition. Journal of Biomedical Sciences , Vol. 3, No.2, 2016, Page: 24-28