While I hate to think that the genetic mutation I have could have an evolutionary benefit there is research to suggest that it does.
Personally, I have a lot of negative feelings towards the MC4r gene mutation for causing my early onset obesity in childhood and ultimately making my weight loss journey tedious and exhausting – the very idea that it might have a primitive past leaves with with very mixed feelings.
I touched on this topic briefly in “Four signs and symptoms of MC4r” and I talked about how people with the mutation tend to seek out fattier foods – and I want to touch more on this study as it explains a possible evolutionary benefit to the mutation.
The Study
The study was carried out by the University of Cambridge in the U.K. and their research suggests that 1 in 100 obese people suffer with the MC4r gene mutation.
Overall, 54 people took part in the study. What I will say, is this is a relatively small sample size when looking at the big picture. So, despite the conclusions of the study this is a limitation, and the study does lose validity because of that.
Of the 54 people recruited, 20 were ‘lean’, 20 were ‘obese’ and 14 were ‘obese and had the MC4r gene mutation’. If I have to criticize the study, I would point out the very obvious difference in numbers.
The groups of participants were invited to an all you can eat buffet, and given samples of three chicken korma curry’s (each prepared differently) but made to look and taste exactly the same, however the fat content varied from low, medium and high in fat.
Despite the three groups eating around the same amount of curry, it was deduced that the group with the mutation in the MC4r gene ate almost twice as much high-fat korma than the lean group (95%) and 65% more than the obese group.
The second experiment, involved the three groups choosing between three desserts that all looked and tasted the same, but varied in sugar content (low, medium and high).
This time they found that the lean group preferred the dessert high in sugar but the group with the MC4r mutation liked it less and ate less overall of all three desserts compared to the other two groups.
Conclusion
It has already been established that the mutation causes early on set obesity and overall weight gain.
What the study showed was that people with the MC4r mutation tend to prefer fatty foods more than other people and generally eat more fatty foods even if the fat content is HIDDEN.
So, even if you tightly control the taste and appearance of your food your brain can still detect its nutritional content.
What’s interesting about this study is that it established two things, one the fact that normally we choose when we eat foods high in fat and sugar and normally we seek out food that contains BOTH fat and sugar.
However, because these nutritional components were tested separately, alongside a group of people with the MC4r mutation they were able to conclude that our brains can modify our food preferences.
This is were out primitive past comes in as they were able to further conclude that a gene mutation like MC4r might have been a useful survival mechanism.
This comes from the fact that when a food source is limited we look for food that be transformed into energy and stored to be accessed when needed. Gram for gram, fat contains twice as many calories than carbohydrates or protein and can be readily stored in our bodies. So a pathway in our brains that tells you to eat more fat, which can be stored as energy would be a useful way of defending ourselves from starvation.
While the study has limits, such as a small sample group and a limited option at the buffet, it is the first step in demonstrating that people with the MC4r mutation don’t have a constant need to eat, or are always hungry as most people might perceive, but more actually have a drive to seek out and eat fattier foods.
While this isn’t the best news for anyone with the MC4r mutation – it’s definitely not good news to me – but what it is, and how I chose to see it, is a step forward into understanding my body.
A lot of people with weight problems spend a lot of time hating their bodies – and I’ve spent far too many years doing looking in the mirror and hating what I see. Finally understand what is happening to my body is a step in the direction to self-love.
This year my mission is to start loving my body no matter what it looks like, and understanding it is a part of that journey and I encourage you to do the same.
MC4r and ME 