Thin people should thank the genes and not the "moral superiority" for their weight, according to a study

One study suggested that thin people are lean because of a genetic advantage and not always because they are more disciplined in portion control.

New research from the University of Cambridge indicates that genetic maps are stacked in favor of thin people and against those considered obese.

"This study shows for the first time that healthy, slim people in good health are generally lean because they have fewer genes that increase the risk of being overweight and not because they are morally superior, as some people suggest." said Professor Sadaf. Farooqi of the Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolism Sciences of Cambridge who led the study.

While it's easy to judge and criticize an individual for his weight, "science shows that things are much more complex," he added. "We have much less control over our weight than we would like."

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.

The researchers recognized that factors such as ease of access to high calorie foods and a sedentary lifestyle could affect a person's weight. They pointed out, however, considerable individual variation within a population sharing the same environment.

"We already know that people can be thin for different reasons," said Professor Farooqi after the publication of the study in the journal PLOS Genetics. "Some people just are not interested in food while others can eat what they want, but never gain weight.If we find the genes that prevent them from gaining weight, we may be able to target these genes to regain 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 discovered significantly more frequent genetic changes in thin individuals.

The authors of the study said that this could allow them to identify new genes and biological mechanisms that help people stay slim.

In the UK, more than 6 out of 10 adults (59 to 65%) are overweight, while one in four adults and one in ten children aged 10 to 11 are obese, according to the NHS.

Researchers have recognized that external factors, such as easy access to high-calorie foods and a sedentary lifestyle, can affect a person's weight.

However, they say that there is significant individual variation within a population sharing the same environment.

"We already know that people can be thin for a variety of reasons," said Professor Farooqi. "Some people are just 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."

Dr. Ines Barroso of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, who collaborated in the study, adds: "As expected, we found that obese people had a higher genetic risk score than normal-weight people, which contributes to their risk of overweight. The genetic dice are loaded against them. "