新奇事件簿 基因决定身材（在线收听）

New research suggests that people's genes are key to helping them stay slim. A study from Cambridge University in the U.K. discovered that thin people had DNA that contained variants which helped them stay slim and fewer variants linked to being overweight. Researcher Sadaf Farooqi, professor of metabolism and medicine, said: "We've found that there are genes associated with thinness." She added: "Genes play at least 40 per cent of a role in people's weight. It's much more than people realize." This might help explain why some people are naturally skinny while others have big problems with keeping their weight down and seem to pile on the pounds so easily.

新研究发现人类基因是帮助他们保持苗条的关键。英国剑桥大学的一项研究发现瘦的人他们的DNA中含有帮助他们保持苗条的变异体，而和肥胖相连的变异体则很少。研究员、新陈代谢和医学教授萨达夫·法鲁奇说到：“我们发现了与瘦相关的基因。”她还说道：“基因在人类体重中至少占40%的比重，比人们以为的还要多。”这或许可以帮助解释为什么一些人天生苗条，而其他人则有减肥困扰，且很容易长肉。

The study is published in the journal PLOS Genetics. The researchers said they undertook the study to find out why so many people struggle with their weight. Over 30 per cent of American adults are obese, while a staggering 94.5 per cent of adults on the South Pacific island of Nauru are overweight. Professor Farooqi said she wanted to help people who are struggling with their weight. She said: "It's easy to rush to judgment and criticize people for their weight, but the science shows that things are far more complex." She added: "Healthy, thin people are generally thin because they have a lower burden of genes that increase a person's chances of being overweight and not because they are morally superior."

该研究发表于期刊《PLoS Genetics》。研究人员表示他们进行这项研究是为了发现为什么这么多人有体重困扰。超过30%的美国成年人都过胖，而在南太平洋瑙鲁岛，更有94.5%的成年人超重。法鲁奇教授表示她想要帮助那些有体重困扰的人。她说：“很容易因体重而急于判断和批评别人，但科学表明事情远没有那么简单。”她还说道：“健康、苗条的人一般都很瘦这是因为他们有着更低的基因负担，而这种基因会增加一个人肥胖的几率，并不是因为他们在道德上有优越感。”