This study by Rampersaud et al. sought to determine whether fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) variants were associated with body mass index (BMI) and whether the detrimental associations of BMI-FTO gene variants could be lessened by increased physical activity. The analysis included 704 subjects (53% men vs. 47% women) from the Old Order Amish (OOA) community. The authors found that the genotype’s impact on body composition was much smaller and not statistically significant in subjects with high physical activity levels. This finding suggests that physical activity has a strong moderating effect on the deleterious effects of FTO variants. These results emphasize the importance of physical activity in preventing obesity in genetically susceptible individuals.
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