Researchers at UCLA have recently found the obesity-inducing FTO gene is also related to loss in brain tissue. More than one third of Americans carry the FTO gene, and the potential loss in brain tissue puts them at risk for Alzheimer's and other diseases.
According to UCLA Health and Medicine News, the FTO gene was discovered three years ago and thought to be carried by almost half of all Americans of European decent. For recently, researchers have confirmed that 25% of Hispanic Americans, 15% of Asian Americans, and 15% of African Americans carry the FTO gene as well.
Two hundred and six elderly subjects in good health were monitored in UCLA's study. In the subjects who were FTO carriers, some had as much as 8% less frontal lobe tissue and 12% less occipital lobe tissue compared to non-carriers. Researchers were unsuccessful in linking the brain tissue loss to other factors related to obesity such as high blood 
While the study's findings may look grim, UCLA professor of neurology Paul Thompson said there is hope of prevention. "Half of the world carries this dangerous gene. But a healthy lifestyle will counteract the risk of brain loss, whether you carry the gene or not," Thompson said in the UCLA article. "So it's vital to boost your brain health by being physically active and eating a balanced diet."
