Stock photo of an obese woman measuring her waist. (©David Freund/Getty Images)

Santa may be genetically predisposed to be both jolly and fat

11/21/2012

A new study has found that your weight has an effect on your happiness, but not the way one might assume. Obesity, it turns out, might not be linked with depression. Girth may equal mirth. Researchers at McMaster University have discovered that the gene FTO — the gene that contributes most greatly to obesity — reduces the risk of depression by eight percent, which means that FTO could also be a "happy gene" in addition to being an obesity gene. The findings are contrary to the common perception that obese people are depressed due to their appearance and social and economic discrimination. [Source]

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