Germans Find A Gene That May Stop Storage Of Body Fat...

It seems the German's have successfully discovered a potential lead to helping people fight obesity. During my short stint in Germany, I discovered I could fight body fat storage by not eating large amounts of strangely textured schnitzel and the odd smelling sauerkraut I so desperately miss. OK, so maybe I don't miss German delicacies, but hey I lost weight while I was there! Anyhow, it appears scientific probing by German researchers into the genetics of flies have uncovered a gene that may help fight obesity:

A team of scientists in Germany has discovered a previously unknown gene in fruit flies that controls the metabolism of fat and showed that flies that have a defect in this gene, which they call "schlank" (the German for slim or lean), lose the ability to store fat in their bodies: the scientists say this discovery may lead to new treatments for obesity in humans because mammals have a group of genes that are structurally very similar to "schlank".

This really is a riveting discovery and it will be interesting to see where new research will lead as German researchers begin to explore the implications of this discovery in relation to mammals and humans.

Hoch and colleagues said in their conclusion that:

"Our results identify schlank as a new regulator of the balance between lipogenesis (fat generation) and lipolysis (fat breakdown) in Drosophila (fruit flies)."

"Furthermore, our studies of schlank and the mammalian Lass2 family member suggest a novel role for ceramide synthases in regulating body fat metabolism," they added.

Hoch said that due to the strong paralles between schlank and Lass demonstrated with this study, they think it very likely that the Lass genes of mammals are linked to the control of lipid metabolism.

"If this is the case they would be a promising approach for new medications for obesity," he said. - Gene That Stops Flies Storing Body Fat Could Lead to New Treatments for Human Obesity, Study

As a fitness professional and a huge proponent of healthy lifestyle choices, I can't help but ponder what kind of effect this discovery might have on people's attitudes towards obesity, weight loss and healthy living. In my opinion, any advancements in medicine that allow us to reverse poor decisions or decisions we didn't make at all and promote the longevity of human life are positive advancements. My only concern with a treatment for obesity is whether or not humans will use this treatment as a scapegoat rather than change their eating habits. Should America get its hands on this type of treatment I have to wonder: will this discovery become a crutch for us to lean on when we become more lazy and less willing to address the lifestyle choices we should be making to improve wellness in ourselves? The optimist in me says these treatments will become a great tool to improve the lives of people all over who suffer from the troubles of obesity. The realist in me says human nature will use this tool as a lazy crutch.