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The Life Scientific: Episode 133: Sadaf Farooqi on what makes us fat

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Sadaf Farooqi on what makes us fat

Episode 133

Episode 133: Sadaf Farooqi on what makes us fat

BBC Radio 4 - The Life Scientific, Sadaf Farooqi on what makes us fat

Sadaf Farooqi describes how she found ten rare genetic disorders that cause obesity.

Medical researcher, Sadaf Farooqi tells Jim Al-Khalili how she discovered rare ten genetic disorders that cause severe childhood obesity.

Is it true that some people put on weight more easily than others? And if so why? It's a question that's close to many of our hearts. And it's a question that medical researcher, Professor Sadaf Farooqi is trying to answer. In 1997, Sadaf noticed that two children she was studying lacked the hormone leptin. From there, she went on to discover the first single gene defect that causes obesity. For most us, how much we eat is within our control. But for children with this rare inherited condition and, it turned out, several other rare genetic disorders, the evidence is clear. A voracious appetite is not a lifestyle choice: it's a biological response to brains signalling starvation. Sadaf tells Jim how she discovered ten rare genetic disorders that cause severe childhood obesity and what this means for the rest of us. 
Producer: Anna Buckley.

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Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work.

Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future.

Professor Jim Al-Khalili talks to leading scientists about their life and work, finding out what inspires and motivates them and asking what their discoveries might do for us in the future

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Episode 133: Sadaf Farooqi on what makes us fat

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