The new people suggest that thin people are so caused by genes

Thin people are skinny because of a genetic advantage and not always because they are more disciplined in terms of portion control, according to a new study.

New research indicates that genetic dice are loaded in favor of thin people and against those who are obese at the end of the spectrum.

He follows the results of researchers at the University of Cambridge who studied 2,000 thin subjects, defined as having a body mbad index of less than 18, without health problems or eating disorders.

"This research shows for the first time that healthy, thin people in good health are generally skinny because they have fewer genes that increase the risks of being overweight and not because they are morally superior, like some people suggest, "said Professor Sadaf. Farooqi, of the Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolism Sciences of Cambridge.

"It's easy to judge and criticize people for their weight, but science shows that things are much more complex.

"We have much less control over our weight than we might think."

The DNA of 1,622 thin volunteers from the cohort, called "Study on Thin and Thin Subjects" (STILTS), was compared to that of 1,985 severely obese individuals and 10,433 individuals of normal weight.

Researchers have recognized that factors such as easy access to high-calorie foods and a sedentary lifestyle can affect a person's weight, but they have noted considerable individual variation in a population sharing the same environment.

"We already know that people can be thin for different reasons," said Professor Farooqi.

"Some people just are not interested in food while others can eat what they want, but never get fat.

"If we can find the genes that prevent them from gaining weight, we may be able to target them to find new weight loss strategies and help people who do not have this benefit."

Three in four (74%) of the STILTS cohort had a family history of wasting and poor health, and the team found significantly more frequent genetic changes in thin individuals.

They say that this can enable them to identify new genes and biological mechanisms that help people stay slim.

Dr. Inês Barroso of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, who collaborated in the study, said: "As expected, we found that obese people had a higher genetic risk score than normal-weight people, which contributes to their risk of being overweight.

"The genetic dice are loaded against them."

The results are published in the journal PLOS Genetics.