The article that I read came from MSNBC.com, and was titled, Born Lucky: Scientists discover �skinny� gene.
The article discusses the research work of Dr. Jonathan Graff, an associate professor of developmental biology at the University of Texas. Dr. Graff and his research staff believe that they have discovered a gene that determines whether or not people will be thin. The research staff believes that this gene is found in all cells, and the presence or absence of this gene will determine how much body fat a person has.
Dr. Graff and his staff performed academic research, and found that about 50 years ago, a research student at Yale University found the same gene, and reached a similar conclusion. While the research from Yale did not stimulate further research, Dr. Graff and his staff have performed a limited number of studies.
Dr. Graff and his staff performed studies on worms, and on mice. They reached the conclusion that the presence of the gene reduced the amount of body fat by one-third. Other researchers that have looked at the study have speculated that this information could be used in the treatment of obesity. If a gene could be identified as the reason for an amount of body fat, then, genetically changing the gene would change the amount of body fat that a person has.
The Essay on Circuit Training Body Fat Mass
From reducing risk of heart attack to simply providing more energy, weight training plays an important role in one's life. One very popular method of weight training is to increase mobility and build strength and stamina. This method is known as circuit training. Circuit training has been around for decades and offers a wide variety of applications and benefits. This workout is performed both ...
I am not convinced that it is possible to look at one gene, and state that this gene is responsible for the amount of body fat that a person has. The way that a gene functions is always influenced by environmental factors. The way that a person looks is partially the result of genetic factors, and partially the result of the way that the person interacts with the environment.
I believe that it will be a long time before scientists can label one section of a gene as being responsible for the amount of body fat. Even if scientists could identify a section of a gene as being responsible for one specific function, it would be very difficult to alter the genetic information. Even if it were possible to alter the genetic information, the question remains as to what would happen, would the person obtain the expected result, and who would want their genetic information altered?