Skip to main content

Genetics of Obesity

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Genetics of Endocrine Diseases and Syndromes

Part of the book series: Experientia Supplementum ((EXS,volume 111))

Abstract

Obesity is caused by an imbalance between energy intake and output, influenced by numerous environmental, biological, and genetic factors. Only a minority of people with obesity have a genetic defect that is the main cause of their obesity. A key symptom for most of these disorders is early-onset obesity and hyperphagia. For some genetic obesity disorders, the hyperphagia is the main characteristic, often caused by disruptions of the leptin-melanocortin pathway, the central pathway that regulates the body’s satiety and energy balance. For other disorders, obesity is part of a distinct combination of other clinical features such as intellectual disability, dysmorphic facial features, or organ abnormalities. This chapter focuses on genetic obesity disorders and also summarizes the present knowledge on the genetics of the more common polygenic/multifactorial obesity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Abbreviations

ACTH:

Adrenocorticotropic hormone

AgRP:

Agouti-related protein

AHO:

Albright hereditary osteodystrophy

BBS:

Bardet-Biedl syndrome

BMI:

Body mass index

CCK:

Cholecystokinin

GLP-1:

Glucagon-like peptide-1

ID:

Intellectual disability

MC3R:

Melanocortin 3 receptor

MC4R:

Melanocortin 4 receptor

MSH:

Melanocyte-stimulating hormone

NPY:

Neuropeptide Y

PHP1a:

Pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1a

POMC:

Proopiomelanocortin

PWS:

Prader-Willi syndrome

PYY:

Peptide YY

UPD:

Uniparental disomy

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erica L. T. van den Akker .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Kleinendorst, L., van Haelst, M.M., van den Akker, E.L.T. (2019). Genetics of Obesity. In: Igaz, P., Patócs, A. (eds) Genetics of Endocrine Diseases and Syndromes. Experientia Supplementum, vol 111. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25905-1_19

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics