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Review
. 2017 Feb:73:326-339.
doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.12.028. Epub 2016 Dec 23.

Gene and environment interaction: Is the differential susceptibility hypothesis relevant for obesity?

Affiliations
Review

Gene and environment interaction: Is the differential susceptibility hypothesis relevant for obesity?

Roberta Dalle Molle et al. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017 Feb.

Abstract

The differential susceptibility model states that a given genetic variant is associated with an increased risk of pathology in negative environments but greater than average resilience in enriched ones. While this theory was first implemented in psychiatric-genetic research, it may also help us to unravel the complex ways that genes and environments interact to influence feeding behavior and obesity. We reviewed evidence on gene vs. environment interactions that influence obesity development, aiming to support the applicability of the differential susceptibility model for this condition, and propose that various environmental "layers" relevant for human development should be considered when bearing the differential susceptibility model in mind. Mother-child relationship, socioeconomic status and individual's response are important modifiers of BMI and food intake when interacting with gene variants, "for better and for worse". While only a few studies to date have investigated obesity outcomes using this approach, we propose that the differential susceptibility hypothesis is in fact highly applicable to the study of genetic and environmental influences on feeding behavior and obesity risk.

Keywords: Development; Differential susceptibility; Eating behavior; Gene–environment interaction; Obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Conceptual framework representing the differential susceptibility hypothesis to the various environmental “layers” on feeding behavior/choices and BMI. The positive or negative environment will impact more on individuals carrying “plasticity” genes, leading to healthier food choices and lower BMI in positive environments and the opposite in negative environments. Individual traits and gender interact with the various environments (circles with a cross inside represent interaction). Boxes with edges in dark red and dark green represent the absence or presence of the plasticity genes, respectively. The filled boxes in green and red represent positive and negative environmental influences, respectively.

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