Blood test may help predict whether a child will become obese

Scientists have found that a simple blood test, which can read DNA, could be used to predict obesity levels in children. Researchers used the test to assess the levels of epigenetic switches in the PGC1a gene - a gene that regulates fat storage in the body. Epigenetic switches take place through a chemical change called DNA methylation, which controls how genes work and is set during early life. The test, when carried out on children at five years old, differentiates between children with a high body fat and those with a low body fat when they were older.

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