The FTO gene - located on chromosome 16 - is the first common gene to be linked to obesity. Previous research has indicated that adults with two copies of the higher risk version of the gene are on average 3kg heavier, and those with a single copy are on average 1.5kg heavier, than those without the gene.
The researchers tested whether the children age 8 and 11 carrying the higher risk gene variation had an altered appetite through height, weight and waist circumference measurements, and gave parents a questionnaire which asked about their child's eating habits.
They found that such children tended to overeat and to struggle to recognise when they were full and the effect of the gene on appetite was the same regardless of age, sex, socio-economic background and body mass index.
People who carry the gene will not automatically become overweight, but they are more likely to do so if they are unable to ignore society's plethora of food advertising.
