Sizing up the gene pool

According to research from University College London, thin parents are more likely to end up having a thin child.  The findings are based on an annual survey of households in England between 2001-2006, when researchers collected height and weight information from 7,000 families and then calculated their BMI.

The study found that when both parents were in the thinner half of the healthy-weight range, the chance of the child being thin was 16.2 per cent. This was compared with 7.8 per cent when both parents were in the upper half of the healthy weight range, 5.3 per cent with two overweight parents and only 2.5 per cent for children with two obese parents

Commenting on the findings, Professor Jane Wardle, from UCL Epidemiology and Public Health, explained, ‘Parents are often concerned if their child is thin, but it may just be their “skinny genes.” All genes have two versions, called alleles. We might think of weight-related genes as having a “skinny” and “curvy” allele. Thinner parents are more likely to have more of the skinny allele, increasing the chance of passing them on to their children.

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