Over four years, 1,200 pigs were given nearly unlimited access to food to see how much they’d eat, how often, how long they’d spend at the feeder, and what kind of food they preferred, all while monitoring their weight. Each pig also had its specific genome sequenced–that means that each pig’s DNA was mapped, creating a sort of personal snapshot of each pig. No two pig’s sequences are completely the same, and the hope was that the differences could shine light on eating habits.
Though all the pigs were of the same breed, some of them were inclined to overeat. And amazingly, researchers found that specific genes were linked to systemic overeating.
Read the full, original story here: Researchers Find A Gene For Obesity
