The FTO gene has the unfortunate nickname of the ‘fatso gene’ because several FTO variants are associated with obesity. Lots of studies link it to being likely to have a higher BMI.[ref][ref]
Of course, this SNP isn’t entirely to blame if you have weight problems. Your dietary choices, activity level, and other genetic variants also come into play. One study shows an association between the FTO SNP and an average increase in weight of 7lbs. Another study linked it to an increase of 1.4 to 2.8 BMI points.[ref][ref]
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Check your genetic data for rs9939609 (23andMe v4, v5; AncestryDNA)
- A/A: higher risk of obesity, increased BMI
- A/T: increased risk of obesity, increased BMI
- T/T: typical
Members: Your genotype for rs9939609 is —.
Want to know more? Get all the details in the full article on the FTO gene.
*SNP stands for Single Nucleotide Polymorphism, which is when one of the nucleotide bases (the A, C, G, or Ts) is replaced by a different nucleotide base in a gene. Want to know more about your genes? Read through all the Snips about SNPs.