19/06/2022
It’s a small difference, but it’s thought that there are many genes, each of which has tiny effects. Some people may inherit many of these ‘fat’ genes and others just one or two. Meanwhile, there may also be ‘lean’ genes that work in the opposite direction.
New research has suggested that some adults may have small quantities of brown fat. This is a cluster of a particular type of fat cell that tends to burn off excess calories rather than storing them. This could help them stay slim, but the effect is probably insufficient to explain large differences in weight between different people. This research greatly improves our understanding of body shapes.
