A new study, published in the journal Cell, studied the connection between obesity and the KSR2 and ERK genes.  Specifically, researchers examined how mutations of KSR2 are associated with obesity, using a mouse model, and how mutations of ERK impair oxidation of glucose and fatty acids.  In mice, targeted deletion of the KSR2 gene led to obesity.  The researchers were able to conclude that KSR2 plays an important role in regulation of energy intake, energy expenditure, and substrate utilization in humans.  Mutation carriers exhibit hyperphagia in childhood, low heart rate, reduced basal metabolic rate and severe insulin resistance.  It is possible that understanding KSR2 and its effects could lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for dealing with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

In an analysis of the study in National Post, one of the study authors notes that recent trends in obesity are primarily linked to diet and obesity.  However, when those are held constant, some people still gain weight more easily than others.  Building the literature around the genetic basis for obesity can help develop new treatment methods to address the genetic foundation for obesity, which can complement lifestyle changes with diet and exercise.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-third of U.S. adults are obese.  Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death.  The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008 U.S. dollars; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.  By state, obesity prevalence ranged from 20.5% in Colorado to 34.7% in Louisiana in 2012. No state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Nine states and the District of Columbia had prevalence between 20-25%. Thirteen states had a prevalence equal to or greater than 30%.

Concerns about obesity have led some lawmakers to search for a way to legally force people into healthier decisions.  A controversial attempt to do so was a ban on larger sized sugar sweetened beverages at certain establishments in New York State.  There is some merit to these attempts and a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrates that.  There, the researchers examined the effects of a 16-ounce cap on the size of sugar-sweetened beverages served at food-service establishments.  Utilizing dietary records, they found that 7.2 percent of children and 7.6 percent of adults would be impacted by the ban on any given day, regardless of income group.