What should I know about FTO Basis?

The FTO gene (e.g., rs9939609) is the most robustly replicated obesity-associated locus from GWAS. Carriers of the risk allele have a modestly higher BMI (about 1–3 kg) and a 20–30 % increased risk of overweight/obesity. However, the effect size is small, and obesity is polygenic – this single SNP explains only a fraction of variance. Physical activity and diet can attenuate the genetic risk. Direct-to-consumer tests often overstate the impact. No clinical guidelines recommend FTO genotyping for weight management. Focus on overall lifestyle rather than a single gene variant.