Grant: CIHR Fellowship

The social and economic burden of obesity and its complications will probably increase in the upcoming years due to the expected rise of obese individuals. This situation urges the need to understand why some individuals are predisposed to develop obesity. The control of body weight is complex where environment and genetic factors are implicated. It has been estimated that the susceptibility of individuals to develop obesity is 40 to 70% explained by variations in their DNA (genetic variations). Previous large studies in different populations have tried to identify which genetic variations may influence obesity risk. Several genetic variations which are frequently observed in the population (common), have been linked with obesity risk, but with a small contribution to this risk. Other genetic variations less frequent in the population (rare), but with greater contribution on obesity risk, are poorly identified to date, but may reveal further genetic susceptibility to develop obesity. The proposed project aimed at identifying these rare genetic variations and to evaluate the contribution of common and rare genetic variations on obesity risk in a large sample of 10,000 patients from the Montreal Heart Institute Hospital Cohort. This project will also verify whether the effect of common and rare genetic variations on obesity risk may vary depending of the patient's diet. Indeed, patients with genetic susceptibilities to develop obesity may have a greater risk in the context where their dietary habits also favor the development of obesity, such as the type of fat consumed. The proposed project will improve our understanding on how genetics and nutrition contribute to the susceptibility of individuals to be obese. This will then help to establish efficient prevention strategies, and helping physicians and health professionals to choose the appropriate intervention for each patient, such as personalized modifications of lifestyle habits or effective drug treatment.