"Sweet Tooth" Gene Variant Associated with Lower Body Fat

A common variant of the gene for the liver hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 ( FGF21 ) genetically predisposes carriers to eat more sugar and consume more alcohol, but it is also, perhaps counterintuitively, associated with lower total body fat, according to the findings of a study headed by researchers at the University of Exeter in the U.K. The scientists’ analysis of genetic, health, and lifestyle data from more than 450,000 individuals also showed that the same FGF21 variant (rs83813