Environment and Genes Influences BMI – Research Suggests

Environmental conditions, as well as our genetic makeup, influence our Body Mass Index (BMI), University of Queensland researchers have discovered. A team of scientists led by Huanwei Wang and Professor Jian Yang from the University of Queensland‘s Institute for Molecular Bioscience found the genetic effects that influence human height are very stable from one environment to another. The study could help determine whether, for any particular traits, the impact of a genetic variation is influenced by environmental factors. Professor Yang said that human traits, such as height or BMI, are complex because they are influenced by various genetic factors, as well as environmental factors. The relation between genetic factors and the environmental conditions affecting these traits have been challenging to find out. A DNA difference could change a character, but is the effect stable across different environments? The researchers have been trying to answer how Environment and Genes Influences BMI. For instance, there is a genetic variation known to influence lung function, and the role of this genetic variation is altered significantly by smoking Professor Yang added. The link between smoking and lung function is well-known to the scientists, but its effect due to change in environmental factors is less known to the researchers.