Genetic and Environmental Influences on Obesity
Humana Press eBooksPublished 1 January 2001
David B. Allison, Patty E. Matz, Angelo Pietrobelli, Raffaella Zannolli, Myles S. Faith
Citations95
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TL;DR
This is an exciting time for research into genetic and environmental influences on obesity, and many argue that the ability to induce species-wide changes in the average value of a trait by selective breeding provides the strongest evidence for a genetic effect on that trait.
Abstract
This is an exciting time for research into genetic and environmental influences on obesity. Advances in molecular biology, pharmacology, and other fields are allowing rapid advances to be made in this arena. Knowledge that there is a genetic component to variations in body wt and composition is not new. Indeed, animal breeders and ranchers have known for centuries that animals could be selectively bred for traits related to body wt and composition (1). For example, the average pig used for pork production in the United States today has substantially more lean body mass and substantially less fat mass than its ancestors, thus demonstrating the influence of selective breeding (2). Many argue that the ability to induce species-wide changes in the average value of a trait by selective breeding provides the strongest evidence for a genetic effect on that trait (3), a phenomenon that has been demonstrated in livestock (4) and laboratory animals (5).
Keywords
MedicineBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
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13 Citations1996Giuseppe Vona, Paolo Francalacci +3 more
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1 Citations1997Steven B. Heymsfield, Angelo Pietrobelli
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