Researchers from Cambridge University say people's genes help them to stay slim. They discovered that thin people had DNA that helped them stay slim. Their DNA contained fewer things linked to being overweight. A professor of metabolism and medicine, Sadaf Farooqi, said: "We've found that there are genes associated with thinness. Genes play at least 40 per cent of a role in people's weight. It's much more than people realize." This might help explain why some people are naturally skinny while others have problems with keeping their weight down.
The study is in the journal PLOS Genetics. The researchers wanted to find out why so many people struggle with their weight. An incredible 94.5 per cent of adults on the South Pacific island of Nauru are overweight. Professor Farooqi said she wanted to help people who are struggling. She said: "It's easy to rush to judgment and criticize people for their weight, but the science shows that things are far more complex." She added: "Healthy, thin people are generally thin because they have a lower burden of genes that increase a person's chances of being overweight."