Weight Gain May Be Caused by Thrifty Gene

Gaining weight over the holiday season seems to be second nature to some, and a new study has shed light on why some are affected while others are not.

According to a study released in the journal Nature, a gene may have helped our ancestors hold on to extra weight during times of famine. The researchers found that mice who lack the CRTC3 gene were able to eat a high-fat diet without gaining weight. Normal mice on the same diet packed on the pounds.

Dr. Marc Montminy of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California found that Mexican Americans with a particularly potent version of this gene were more likely to be obese than others. The gene did not appear to have the same effect in whites.

The CRTC3 gene is particularly interesting to researchers because it slows down the rate at which the fat cells burn fat.

"When we make animals that don't have the CRTC3 gene, these animals become lean," Montminy said.

Although some believe that creating a drug that tones down CRTC3's effects could lead to weight loss, others are skeptical.

"The CRTC3 gene didn't suddenly mutate to cause obesity," said Brenda Walsh, a clinical dietitian for University Hospitals, Case Medical Center. "There could be a genetic cause of obesity, but it's multifactorial. Sometimes people see these studies and embrace them, but individuals need to look at their own diets and exercise."

She says that a lot more research needs to be done before we can pass obesity off on genetics.

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