The Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) conducted by researchers from the Estonian Genome Center of the University of Tartu (EGCUT) biobank classifies anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) as a candidate thinness gene.
In their study, the researchers found that ALK expression in hypothalamic neurons could control energy expenditure through the sympathetic control of adipose tissue breakdown.
While other studies primarily focus on determining the gene responsible for causing obesity, the team went against the grain. It used genetic and mechanistic experiments that led to the identification of ALK as a thinness gene. They claim that it is involved in the resistance to weight gain.
In their study and trial, ALK-mutant mice exhibited significant resistance to obesity induced by diet and leptin mutation. Furthermore, in drosophila, more commonly known as 'fruit flies', they discovered that RNAi-mediated altercation of ALK led to lower triglyceride levels.
The findings of the study by Josef M. Penninger and his co-authors were published in the journal Cell on May 21, 2020.
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Why do Some People Stay Slim Even Though they Eat a Lot?
As it turns out, a 'fat controller' enzyme determines whether fat will accumulate in your body or instead will be converted into energy. This certain 'fat judge' is called the enzyme MGAT2, which is found in the intestines.
Californian scientists have discovered that mice without the gene could eat as much as they wanted without getting fat. Decreasing MGAT activity in mice not only reduces their chances of packing on the pounds, but it also prevents them from developing other obesity-related problems such as fatty livers and glucose intolerance.
Furthermore, they discovered that decreasing MGAT activity in mice reduces their chances of getting fat. Furthermore, it also prevents them from developing other obesity-related problems such as glucose intolerance and fatty livers.
In an interview by SBS, Professor John Brewer from St. Mary's University in London said that a person's healthy weight isn't always due to their fast metabolism. He adds that many slim people stay healthy due to their calorie intake, and not their metabolisms.
Interchangeably, he says that many people who are overweight also have a standard or even high metabolic rate, but would not have been possible if they took in too many calories.
Why is Being Thin Seen as Attractive?
Thin is beautiful. Or at least, that's what many people think. In a study, scientists have found that men find thinner women attractive because they correlate their body shape with fertility, youth, and a lower risk of having diseases.
Furthermore, the researchers from the University of Aberdeen found that 'evolutionary fitness' determines what men find appealing.
According to Professor John Speakman, one of the authors of the study, in evolutionary terms, fitness was made up of two things: the ability to reproduce and survival.
Additionally, in another study, researchers from the Florida State University also found that the attractiveness of a romantic partner could motivate the desire to go on a diet and to pursue a slim body.
Interestingly, the researchers found that extra motivation to diet did not exist in women who saw themselves as more attractive than their husbands. On the other hand, the study also revealed that men's motivation to diet was low without regard to their wives' attractiveness or their own.
