Joanna Brecher
University of Manchester,U.K
Title: The association between the ‘Fat Mass and Obesity associated Gene (FTO)’ and Obesity-linked eating behaviors in adults and children: a systematic review
Biography
Biography: Joanna Brecher
Abstract
FTO has been recognized as one of the principle candidate genes predisposing to common obesity in humans and numerous weight-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of FTO have been identified. However, understanding of the mechanism of action by which FTO contributes to obesity is limited. The objective of this systematic review is to investigate the hypothesis that weight-associated variants of the FTO gene elicit their effect on adiposity by influencing eating behaviour. To achieve this objective, an exhaustive database search was conducted, with 16 studies selected for analysis after relevance screening in line with PRISMA guidelines and rigid inclusion and exclusion criteria. The effects of five FTO SNPs were assessed across the 16 studies: rs9939609, rs1421085, rs17817449, rs1121980 and rs9939973. All five of the SNPs were significantly associated with increased adiposity in at least one study. The rs9939609 SNP was significantly related to multiple appetitive behaviours with the potential to predispose to obesity, including: increased energy and fat intake, risky eating behaviour, decreased satiety responsiveness and preference for energy-dense foods. The effects of the rs9939609 variant on appetite were predominately observed in children. The rs1421085, rs17817449, rs1121980 and rs9939973 variants were not linked to eating behaviour in either children or adults. These results provide insight into one possible mechanism by which FTO may contribute to obesity, specifically in children. One practical application of these results could be to encourage close monitoring of dietary intake in risk-allele carriers of the rs9939609 SNP as a method of obesity prevention.