A New Genetic Test to Predict Obesity Before Kindergarten: A Breakthrough in Preventing Childhood Obesity

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A groundbreaking study led by the Universities of Copenhagen and Bristol has made a significant breakthrough in predicting childhood obesity using genetic analysis. The research team, comprising an international collaboration of scientists, has developed a polygenic risk score (PGS) that can accurately identify children at higher genetic risk of developing obesity later in life.

By analyzing data from over five million people, the researchers have created a reliable measure that is associated with adulthood obesity and shows consistent patterns in early childhood. This breakthrough could help identify young children who may benefit from targeted preventative strategies, such as lifestyle interventions, to prevent obesity later in life.

The World Obesity Federation expects more than half of the global population to become overweight or obese by 2035. However, current treatment strategies are not universally available or effective. The new PGS has shown remarkable consistency between genetic risk and body mass index (BMI) before the age of five and through to adulthood.

“What makes this score so powerful is the consistency of associations between the genetic score and BMI before the age of five and through to adulthood,” said Assistant Professor Roelof Smit at the University of Copenhagen, lead author of the research published in Nature Medicine. “Intervening at this point could theoretically make a huge impact.”

The researchers drew on genetic data from over five million people, including consumer DNA testing firm 23andMe, and tested their new PGS against datasets of more than 500,000 people. The results showed that the new PGS was twice as effective as the previous best method at predicting a person’s risk of developing obesity.

Dr Kaitlin Wade, Associate Professor in Epidemiology at the University of Bristol, second author on this paper, said: “Obesity is a major public health issue, with many factors contributing to its development. These findings could help us detect individuals at high risk of developing obesity at an earlier age.”

The research team also investigated the relationship between a person’s genetic risk of obesity and the impact of lifestyle weight loss interventions. They discovered that people with a higher genetic risk of obesity were more responsive to interventions but also regained weight more quickly when the interventions ended.

Despite drawing on a diverse population, the new PGS has limitations, particularly in predicting obesity in people with African ancestry. This highlights the need for further research in more representative groups.

This breakthrough study offers hope for preventing childhood obesity and improving public health outcomes. By identifying young children at higher genetic risk of obesity, healthcare professionals can provide targeted preventative strategies to mitigate this risk. The new PGS represents a significant step forward in our understanding of the complex interplay between genetics and lifestyle factors that contribute to obesity.