If you’re a dog lover and owner, you probably share a lot with your dog. You may share your thoughts about the day, share in the pleasure of a good, long walk, or even share a bed. Along with that, you may also share an obesity gene if you own a lab.
A new study published in Science found that British Labrador retrievers have multiple genes related to canine obesity, of which are also associated with human obesity.
Obesity Genes and Brain Pathways
Researchers from the University of Cambridge analyzed different genes within British Labrador retrievers. They found that a gene called DENND1B was mostly associated with obesity in the dogs. It’s also a gene humans carry and is also associated with obesity.
The research team noted that DENND1B directly impacts the brain pathway that regulates the energy balance in the body. This is known as the leptin melanocortin pathway. The team also noted four additional genes associated with obesity in dogs and humans, though they were not as effective as DENND1B. Researchers believe that these genes would not be a target for weight-loss drugs.
“These genes are not immediately obvious targets for weight-loss drugs because they control other key biological processes in the body that should not be interfered with,” said Alyce McClellan from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, and co-lead author of the study, in a press release. “But the results emphasise the importance of fundamental brain pathways in controlling appetite and body weight.”
Read More: Dogs Die Too Soon, but a Possible Drug Could Fix That
Higher Appetite, Higher Risk
The research team analyzed the traits of the dogs with the obesity gene and noted that they all seemed to have food on the brain.
“We found that dogs at high genetic risk of obesity were more interested in food,” said Natalie Wallis from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, and co-lead author of the study, in a press release. “We measured how much dogs pestered their owners for food and whether they were fussy eaters. Dogs at high genetic risk of obesity showed signs of having higher appetite, as has also been shown for people at high genetic risk of obesity.”
The study authors found that dog owners who helped control how much their dogs ate and saw to it that they had regular exercise were less likely to be obese. This is similar to humans with the obesity gene; those who followed a stricter diet and exercised more often were less likely to be obese.
The study authors noted that having the obesity gene does not automatically make you obese – whether dog or human — it just means there is a higher chance of it.
The Human-Dog Connection
According to the study, about 40 to 60 percent of pet dogs are obese. This could lead to a variety of different health problems, including arthritis, heart disease, and early death. This isn’t too far off from the impacts obesity can have on humans.
For this study, the research team surveyed pet dogs based on their greediness level and body fat and took saliva samples for DNA. They found that dogs with the DENND1B gene had 8 percent more body fat than dogs without the gene. The researchers then took this information and compared it to humans to see if there was any relevance.
“Studying the dogs showed us something really powerful: owners of slim dogs are not morally superior. The same is true of slim people. If you have a high genetic risk of obesity, then when there’s lots of food available you’re prone to overeating and gaining weight unless you put a huge effort into not doing so,” said Eleanor Raffan, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience who led the study, in a press release.
“By studying dogs, we could measure their desire for food separately to the control owners exerted over their dog’s diet and exercise. In human studies, it’s harder to study how genetically driven appetite requires greater willpower to remain slim, as both are affecting the one person,” she added in a press release.
Overall, studying the gene in dogs and humans helped the research team understand how the brain controls eating behavior and energy use.
Read More: Chornobyl Dogs Have Genetic Differences but Not From Disaster Mutations
Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
A graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.
Leave a Comment