The Molecular and Epidemiological Genetics of Obesity

The field of the genetic and molecular basis of human obesity is currently receiving a lot of attention from both the research community and the general public. Much of the recent progress has occurred in the identification of new genes and molecules that are involved in the regulation of the energy balance, which may play a role in the obesity phenotype expression. These studies were initiated after it was observed that there is a significant heritability level for human obesity. In the first part of this chapter, we will review the recent findings on genes linked or associated with obesity phenotypes. In the second part, the genetic epidemiology studies will be summarized.