WHY CAN SOME PEOPLE EAT WHAT THEY LIKE AND NEVER GAIN WEIGHT? UKCRN 12511

For many people, losing weight is a constant battle. High calorie food is available 24/7 and as a society we are less physically active, factors that are contributing to the rising tide of being overweight and obesity. However, some people manage to eat what they like and don't worry about their weight. What's their secret? Family, twin and adoption studies have shown that thinness is highly heritable in families. The aim of STILTS2 is to recruit a cohort of thin people, with the help of the PCRNs, for a comprehensive genetic study which would be the first of its kind in the world.

The STudy Into Lean and Thin Subjects (STILTS2), funded by the European Research Council, aims to recruit 1,500 thin people (BMI<18kg/m2), who are well, do not have eating disorders or exercise excessively. GP practices are asked to identify eligible participants through a database search and send invitation letters. Interested participants reply to Professor Farooqi's team in Cambridge, who have identified many genes that contribute to obesity (www.goos.org.uk). The research team send participants a consent form, a basic questionnaire and a saliva kit for DNA collection. Once recruitment is complete, the DNA will be analysed using state of the art genomics technology that investigates millions of variants in all the genes in the human genome. Results from STILTS2 will be compared to 7,000 normal weight controls and 2,000 people with severe obesity. This powerful design will provide unique information about the genetics of thinness and inform the prevention and treatment of obesity.

Recruitment began in July 2012 and thanks to support from the many PCRNs and CLRNs, almost 600 participants have enrolled. STILTS2 is open for recruitment, so please contact Aman Johal, PCRN WM-S research facilitator, at Amanpreet.Johal@warwick.ac.uk or telephone 02476 574127 for further information.