Study hints at 'fat' gene

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Scientists have found that ease of putting on weight in school children is mostly inherited.

A study of more than 5,000 pairs of twins aged eight to 11 showed that genes contributed 77% of the amount by which their body mass and waist circumference varied.

Only 23% of the differences between the children was due to home environment.

Children born with "fat" genes are not inevitably overweight, but have to work extra hard to stay slim, said study leader Professor Jane Wardle, from University College London.

"In today's environment, which provides unprecedented opportunities for all children to over-eat and be sedentary, it is not surprising these tendencies result in weight gain," she added.

"It is therefore especially important to provide the best possible environment for all children to help protect those who are at higher genetic risk."

Twin studies disentangle "nature and nurture" influences by comparing identical and non-identical pairs of individuals.

Studies of twins can estimate the extent to which the home environment makes family members more similar than would be expected from their genetic relatedness. This is especially useful when looking at the factors behind child obesity.