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. 2002 Apr;26(4):437-41.
doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801941.

Twins and virtual twins: bases of relative body weight revisited

N L Segal  1 , D B Allison
Affiliations

Twins and virtual twins: bases of relative body weight revisited

N L Segal et al. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: Application of a new investigative strategy to assess genetic and environmental influences on relative body weight.

Design: Covariance structure analysis of body mass index (BMI) using genetically informative samples.

Subjects: One-hundred and fourteen monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs (age 5.04-22.93 y), 81 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs (age 6.05-16.52 y), and 98 virtual twin (VT) pairs, ie same-age unrelated siblings (3.68-54.75 y).

Measurements: Height, weight, BMI variously obtained by direct measurement and self-report.

Results: In contrast with most previous studies, significant common environmental influence on BMI was observed.

Conclusion: Much past research may have underestimated common environmental effects on BMI because the designs lacked the power or ability to detect them.

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