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Case/Article Review 17

You have two minutes to read the enclosed article, and you will subsequently be asked a range of questions by the interviewer. You may wish to make notes, however please note you will not be allowed to refer to your notes or the article during the discussion.

Scientists say they have discovered the secret behind why some people are skinny while others pile on the pounds easily. Their work reveals newly discovered genetic regions linked to being very slim. The international team say this supports the idea that, for some people, being thin has more to do with inheriting a "lucky" set of genes than having a perfect diet or lifestyle. The study appears in PLOS Genetics. In the past few decades, researchers have found hundreds of genetic changes that increase the chance of a person being overweight - but there has been much less focus on the genes of people who are thin. In this investigation, scientists compared DNA samples from 1,600 healthy thin people in the UK - with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18 - with those of 2,000 severely obese people and 10,400 people of normal weight. They also looked closely at lifestyle questionnaires - to rule out eating disorders, for example. Researchers found people who were obese were more likely to have a set of genes linked to being overweight. Meanwhile, people who were skinny not only had fewer genes linked to obesity but also had changes in gene regions newly associated with healthy thinness.
 
(Adapted from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46976031)
 
  Outline the main issues raised.

Average Candidate Response
This article raises the discussion of what contributes to a person's weight, in particular the role of genetics in individuals who are 'slim'.

Excellent Candidate Response
​
The principle issue discussed in this article is that of nature versus nurture with particular focus on one's weight. The article refers to new genes that could potentially contribute to individuals being ‘slim’, a discovery that could alter society’s perceptions and understanding of weight. 

Currently, conditions such as PCOS or hypothyroidism that cause weight gain – have been linked to genetics, and have provided reasons as to why apparently healthy individuals become overweight. However, causes of ‘slimness’ have previously been attributed to environmental or idiopathic causes, emphasising the idea that lifestyle choices are key to an individual losing weight. Therefore, this revelation could change the way people approach weight loss. Should being thin be associated with a certain gene, individuals may be less inclined to change their diet or do physical activity to lose weight, as it could to an extent disprove the benefits of such lifestyle changes. This demonstrates a potential negative consequence of this discovery.

However, this new information could alternatively have positive societal influences. By associating slimness with a genetic cause, it would highlight the idea that every individual is genetically predisposed to have a different body type, and would confound the concept of an ‘ideal body’ by demonstrating how each person in this world is born to be unique, and should not alter themselves to conform to such societal pressure. For this reason, I believe that this finding could benefit the way in which we appreciate each other and ourselves, and truly empower us as a community. 

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