It was strange for a baby to look so strong. Some fat is essential. But we know that it definitely performs vital functions. The most important function of fat is to store energy. Lat year Dr. Garg and colleagues pinpointed the location of the gene that causes FPLD on chromosome 1, but they have not yet isolated the gene.
Studies are underway to find the location of the gene that causes congenital lipodystrophy.
The disorders are extremely rare, with congenital lipodystrophy affecting roughly one in 12.5 million people, and FPLD affecting roughly one in 25 million. Obesity, on the other hand, affects more than half the population in some countries. About 97 million American adults are overweight or obese. We will also elucidate how these genes affect the action of insulin on the fat cells, which will lead to a better understanding of how common obesity causes insulin resistance and other metabolic complications. Researchers will study dozens of families in the GCRC, testing them for glucose and fat metabolism.