This new study appears in the online edition of the journal, Nature.

The emphasis in this research is that genetic glitches are responsible for a comparatively few obese patients.

Science Now (News Release)

“Obesity is a disease of excess, but a new study suggests that a few obese patients are actually lacking something–a piece of one of their chromosomes. The loss might remove a gene that helps the body manage blood sugar and appetite.” (Emphasis added)

…”Given the biological plausibility, it seems to be an exciting finding,” says geneticist Alan Herbert of Boston University School of Medicine. However, he cautions, it’s too early to rule out the other eight genes on the deleted segment. The CNV on chromosome 16 is rare, and the search is on for other variants that contribute to obesity. “What it tells us,” says Farooqi, “is that there is a lot more genetic variation to find.”

Source: Science Now, Press Release, December 7, 2009

Citation: Nature advance online publication 6 December 2009 | doi:10.1038/nature08689