GENE POOL
PROFESSOR DAVID HASLAM is a GP with a special interest in obesity and cardiometabolic disease, and chairman of the National Obesity Forum
There is no doubt we are in the midst of an obesity epidemic. We’re constantly exposed to palatable, energy-dense and high-fat foods, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle - no wonder weight control is becoming so difficult. Since our genetic make-up hasn’t changed significantly in the past 30 years, hut our obesity rates have, we know that environment must count for a lot. I lowever, scientists are increasingly learning about the significance of genetics in our ability to control our weight. And we now know that identifying the genes that are making us more susceptible to weight gain is crucial to our understanding of obesity, as well as coming up with strategies to combat it.