When It Comes to Unwanted Weight Gain, Humans and Labradors Have This in Common

What’s social, playful, and more likely to gain weight if it has a particular gene variant? Both humans and Labradors, apparently. Researchers in the UK have identified variants, or “versions,” of genes associated with obesity in British Labrador Retrievers. The bad news is that they found variants of the same gene, also linked to excessive weight gain, in humans. The good news is that both Labradors and people with the offending variants can prevent weight gain by following a strict diet and workout routine, according to the study published March 6 in the journal Science. “By studying dogs we could measure their desire for food separately to the control owners exerted over their dog’s diet and exercise. In human studies, it’s harder to study how genetically driven appetite requires greater willpower to remain slim, as both are affecting the one person,” lead author Eleanor Raffan, a veterinary surgeon and researcher at the University of Cambridge, said in a university statement. Th ... Read full article.