Predicting Polygenic Obesity Using Genetic Information

Publication date: 7 March 2017
Source:Cell Metabolism, Volume 25, Issue 3
Author(s): Ruth J.F. Loos, A. Cecile J.W. Janssens
Except in rare cases, obesity tends to be a consequence of both an unhealthy lifestyle and a genetic susceptibility to gain weight. With more than 200 common genetic variants identified, there is a growing interest in developing personalized preventive and treatment strategies to predict an individual's obesity risk. We review the literature on the prediction of obesity and show that models based on the established genetic variants have poorer predictive ability than traditional predictors, such as family history of obesity and childhood obesity. Current findings suggest that opportunities for precision medicine in common obesity may be limited.

Teaser

There is a growing interest in using genetic information to predict people's risk of obesity. In this review, Loos and Janssens show that prediction of polygenic obesity based on genetic variants is poor, whereas family history of obesity, childhood obesity, and other traditional risk factors are better predictors.


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