Artículo de revisión Aspectos genéticos de la obesidad humana

Obesity is a chronic and multifactorial disease with important social, sanitary and economical consequences, which has become a serious health problem worldwide. The increasing prevalence of obesity in Mexico over the last seven years is alarming, as more than 70% of the adult population is currently overweight or obese. The accumulation of adipose tissue has a genetic basis not only in monogenic forms of obesity, but also in common polygenic obesity and the majority of cases result from the interaction of both genetic and environmental factors. This review describes the main genes associated with human obesity, including the recent identification of genes through genome-wide scans whose role in the etiology of obesity is still under discussion. Recent findings on the genetic basis of obesity in the Mexican population are also discussed. Understanding the genetic and molecular bases that cause susceptibility to develop this disease may lead to more adequate preventive and therapeutic actions applicable in public health programs to decrease the prevalence of obesity.