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GWAS for BMI: a treasure trove of fundamental insights into the genetic basis of obesity.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Type

Article

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Authors

Hirschhorn, JN 
Allison, DB 

Abstract

Muller et al. [1] have provided a strong critique of the Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) of body-mass index (BMI), arguing that the GWAS approach for the study of BMI is flawed, and has provided us with few biological insights. They suggest that what is needed instead is a new start, involving GWAS for more complex energy balance related traits. In this invited counter-point, we highlight the substantial advances that have occurred in the obesity field, directly stimulated by the GWAS of BMI. We agree that GWAS for BMI is not perfect, but consider that the best route forward for additional discoveries will likely be to expand the search for common and rare variants linked to BMI and other easily obtained measures of obesity, rather than attempting to perform new, much smaller GWAS for energy balance traits that are complex and expensive to measure. For GWAS in general, we emphasise that the power from increasing the sample size of a crude but easily measured phenotype outweighs the benefits of better phenotyping.

Description

Keywords

Body Mass Index, Body Weight, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, Obesity

Journal Title

Int J Obes (Lond)

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0307-0565
1476-5497

Volume Title

42

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sponsorship
Medical Research Council (G0900554)
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12012/1)
Medical Research Council (MC_PC_12012)