CNN —Obesity isn’t just a matter of food and exercise — it may be in your genetic code, according to new research. In this study, however, we found a clear genetic trigger for obesity,” said lead study author Dr. Mattia Frontini, British Heart Foundation senior fellow and an associate professor in cellular biology at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, in an email. Researchers used data from the UK Biobank, a large biomedical database and research resource that follows people long term, according to the study published Thursday in the journal Med. Women with the gene mutation weighed an extra 4.6 kilograms (10.14 pounds), and men with the variant weighed an extra 2.4 kilograms (5.29 pounds), according to the study. Research into genetic factors and potential treatments is still underway, but Scherer said the current best approach to medical treatment of obesity is GLP-1 medications.

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Persons: ”, Mattia Frontini, Frontini, isn’t, Philipp Scherer, ” Scherer, “, ” Frontini, Scherer, Brooke Alpert, Emily Feig Organizations: CNN, Heart Foundation, University of Exeter, Touchstone Diabetes, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, National Institute of Diabetes, Research, Massachusetts General Hospital Locations: United Kingdom