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A gene linked to obesity causes people to put on weight by keeping them hungry, scientists say.

Previous research had shown that the gene, known as FTO, was strongly associated with obesity. But it was not clear whether this was to do with increasing appetite or burning calories.

The new study of 3,337 children shows that the gene’s effects are due to a lack of normal appetite control.

Usually the act of eating “switches off” the appetite and creates a feeling of satiety or “fullness”. The FTO gene stops this happening, scientists at University College London found.

Children with two copies of a high-risk version of the gene were less likely to have their appetite suppressed by eating. FTO is the first common obesity gene to be identified in Caucasian populations.

Jane Wardle, the study leader, said: “People who carry the risky variant of this gene are more vulnerable to the modern environment with big portion sizes.”

The new findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

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