select search filters
briefings
roundups & rapid reactions
Fiona fox's blog
An expert comments on a study that has found a link in levels of obesity between parents and children, but only between the same gender (ie mothers and daughters, or fathers and sons).
Stephen O’Rahilly MD, FRS, Professor of Clinical Biochemistry and Medicine, University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, said:
“This is an interesting study and the question is worth investigating but its conclusions are based on very small numbers and should be viewed as very preliminary. If scientists want to challenge the existing body of knowledge on something as important as genetics and obesity it is critical that they use the biggest data-sets available. I am sure other groups will soon test this hypothesis in much large numbers of families. Until that time we should treat these findings as potentially interesting but not paradigm changing.”