A groundbreaking genetic test has been developed to identify whether a 5-year-old is at high risk of developing obesity later in life.
For this purpose, scientists have revealed that early interventions can play a pivotal role in promoting a healthier lifestyle from a very young age.
In the Journal Nature Medicine, 600 researchers from around the world collaborated to systematize genetic data from over 5 million people. It was the largest and most diverse genetic dataset to date.
This dataset helped researchers gain a better understanding of the new DNA test, polygenic risk score, which identifies the genetic variants a person has that have been linked to high BMI in adulthood.
According to the researchers, this score could be a valuable tool for predicting a person’s risk of obesity as an adult before the age of 5.
The professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Basic Metabolic Research, Ruth Loos, said, “Childhood is the best time to intervene.”
The findings of the study reveal that obesity is growing fast around the world. About 16% of adults worldwide have obesity and, the situation is getting worse in the United States.
Polygenic test is twice as effective as existing approaches
It has been observed that the new test is not the first to predict a person’s risk of obesity. Loos and her team demonstrated that it was about twice as effective as the current methods doctors use to assess their patients.
However, the polygenic score can account for about 8.5% of the variations in a person’s high BMI as an adult.
In addition, this score indicates that more than 80% of a person’s risk of obesity is attributed to various lifestyle factors.
The test was not as effective in predicting obesity risks in non-Europeans. It shows that the test predicts 16% of the risk for having a high BMI in East Asian Americans.
The data results highlighted that 70% of people were predominantly of European ancestry. About 8% were of East Asian descent, 14% were Hispanic and typically had a mix of ancestries, and just 5% were from African American backgrounds. At the same time, just 1.5% were predominantly from South Asian ancestry.
Loos was of the view that the new score is a big step, but it’s still an initial sample. Further steps are required to collect more data on people with African ancestry to understand better how well this score works for all individuals, not just those of European descent.
How much does genetics play a role in obesity?
The studies suggest that genetics plays a pivotal role in obesity in people.
Doctor Kim said, “Even with the same genetic makeup, people can have different body types.”
He further stated, “From a very young age in my practice, we educate patients about the importance of eating protein-rich foods, a lot of fruits and vegetables and not too many refined carbs.”
Additionally, Dr. Juliana Simonetti, co-director of the Comprehensive Weight Management program at the University of Utah, has been using genetic testing in her adult patients for approximately five years. It is primarily essential to understand a person’s genes, which can help doctors treat weight gain issues more effectively.
In addition, the study has its limitations. Despite growing on genomes at a broader level, it is more effective to predict obesity in individuals with diverse ancestries.
Furthermore, more strategies are required to address the underlying effects on health to combat childhood obesity at a very young age.