This chapter explores the strong genetic influences on body weight, revealing that heritability ranges from 40 to 70 percent. It discusses the brain's role in integrating hormonal signals to regulate hunger, compares genetic variations in dogs and humans, and highlights the complexity of over a thousand identified genes linked to body weight.
Labradors are known for being greedy dogs, and now scientists have come up with a theory about the genetic factors that may be behind their behaviour. In this episode from April 2024, the Guardian’s science correspondent and flat-coated retriever owner Nicola Davis visits the University of Cambridge to meet Dr Eleanor Raffan and Prof Giles Yeo to find out how understanding this pathway could help treat the obesity crisis in humans. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod