Ousting the Obesity Outbreak

            Obesity rates have been rising rapidly in the United States, doubling for children and tripling for teens over the past 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity has become a nationwide epidemic, affecting the health of Americans and causing medical bills to rise. Still, medical researchers struggle to find a sole reason to explain obesity’s prevalence. Some blame obesity on poor eating habits, while others target a lack of physical exercise. Now, researchers have validated the popular claim that obesity can be caused by a “slow metabolism.” In a study conducted at the Institute of Metabolic Science in Cambridge, researchers found that a mutated form of the gene KSR2 facilitates obesity by increasing appetite, while slowing metabolism. Metabolism is made up of all the chemical reactions that occur within an organism. All organisms need energy to live. The combination of anabolic pathways (reactions that store energy) and catabolic pathways (reactions that release energy) within the human body make up metabolism. People with obesity and a slow metabolism cannot burn enough calories to release excess energy that has been stored in fat in the body. Now, scientists are hopeful that knowledge of the causes of obesity will enable them to end this epidemic.

            To conduct the research, scientists studied the DNA of 2,101 patients with obesity. It was concluded that less than 1% of people have a mutated form of the KSR2 gene, while 2% of children with obesity under the age of 5 have the mutated gene. Additionally, it was observed that mice without the KSR2 gene gained weight more easily. The mutated version of KSR2 causes people to feel hungrier because it alters the way the brain receives signals from hormones, therefore slowing the rate of metabolism. The researchers hope to gain insight on how to cure obesity from their findings.

            I was immediately interested upon reading this article because I have observed how common obesity is in my community and school. I am interested in children’s health and medicine, and I was intrigued that obesity might be solved with drugs that can correct a single gene. This article ties into the mystery of obesity and the widespread hope that it can be corrected.

            While reading this article, I felt agreeable and receptive to the ideas that were put forth. I felt that the experiment and results were realistic, helping me to accept the idea that obesity can actually be caused by genetic components that lead to a slow metabolism. Before reading this article, I had the bias that obesity is usually a lifestyle choice, the result of unhealthy eating and a lack of exercise. I had adopted these opinions after reading a series of articles and books on food this summer for my AP Language assignment. Those particular authors blamed obesity on fast food, overeating, and public policy. These views are not necessarily scientific, but based on social prejudices and assumptions. For some people, as this study shows, this may not be true. They may need more than diet plans to affect their health conditions. As I began to accept this new metabolism theory, I could draw connections between my own observations. I have relatives and family friends who have attempted various diets and exercise routines to lose weight, but even the most rigorous plans do not have an effect. For most of these people, obesity also runs in their families. These observations are consistent with this research study. The mutated KSR2 gene could be passed within the family, resulting in a slow metabolism that makes it difficult to maintain a healthy weight. This study helped to give me a better understanding of the causes of obesity and the struggles that people go through to attempt to lose weight.

            The science accompanying this research study seems to be mostly accurate and reliable. By testing the genes of both humans and mice, the scientists were able to create reasonable conclusions about the role of the KSR2 gene. The only part of the study that I question is the relatively small test group. Just over 2,000 obese patients were tested, and nobody with a healthy weight was tested for comparison. Of the 2,000 people tested, only about 1% have the mutated gene, which shows that it is not very common. Additionally, other causes and genes should be tested to determine that the KSR2 gene is the sole gene that affects metabolism. Furthermore, healthy eating and exercise should not be discounted as ways to affect obesity. The science surrounding this research is reliable but limited by the small test group.

            The knowledge gained from this study opens up many possibilities in medical research and healthcare. Drugs could be developed to correct the mutated KSR2 gene along with appropriate health plans that counteract the gene’s effect. Additionally, tests could be introduced to test children and adults with a genetic risk for the mutated KSR2, just like patients with a family history of allergies, genetic disorders, or certain types of cancer can be tested. Treatment of obesity would then take on a preventative measure, possibly even opening new jobs in the medical field for specialists in the area.

            The results of this research show promising progress in finding a cure for obesity. In the future, maybe health risks and medical costs related to obesity will be eliminated, ending the war against obesity in America.

References

Adult obesity facts. (2013, August 16). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 8, 2013, from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

Campbell, N. A., & Reece, J. B. (2005). Biology (7th ed.). San Francisco: Pearson, Benjamin Cummings.

Childhood obesity facts. (2013, July 10). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 9, 2013, from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm

Gallagher, J. (2013, October 24). Slow metabolism 'obesity excuse' true. BBC News. Retrieved December 5, 2013, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24610296