Research
Energy balance
Carriers of the FTO SNP rs8050136 risk allele (A-allele) exhibit significantly higher energy intake during dietary restriction compared to non-carriers, whereas energy expenditure is not independently affected after adjusting for lean body mass.
If you carry the FTO risk variant, you may naturally consume more calories, particularly when dieting. Focus on monitoring intake and satiety cues, as your body may not signal fullness as effectively as non-carriers.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Our data suggest that the increased body weight in carriers of the risk allele of FTO SNP rs8050136 is a consequence of increased food intake, but not of impaired energy expenditure.
Why this rating
Large sample size (n=380), rigorous metabolic measurements (clamp/calorimetry), but self-reported food diaries introduce some measurement error.
Source
Variation in the FTO Gene Influences Food Intake but not Energy Expenditure
Axel Haupt et al. · Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes · 2008
DOI 10.1055/s-0028-1087176
cross_sectional · n=380Cited 176×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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