2008 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript
This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2008. The NHGRI Director and many genomics experts from across NHGRI took questions from students, teachers and the general public on topics ranging from basic genomic research, to the genetic basis of disease, to ethical questions about genetic privacy.
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Is there a gene in DNA that causes obesity?
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Dale Lea, R.N., M.P.H., C.G.C., F.A.A.N.:
Developing genetics, health education and community involvement programs and resources, and translating genetic and genomic information for the public.
Researchers are discovering many genes that contribute to the the cause of common diseases and conditions such as obesity. Recently, researchers in the United Kingdom have discovered a commonly occuring gene variant that may explain why some people become overweight while others do not. However, they point out that it is unlikely to be the cause of the global obesity epidemic.
The findings are published in Science, the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
There could be additional genes that can cause a person to become obese, and additional research could discover them. |
| The Academy of the Sacred Heart in MI (12th grade student) |
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