Scientists have long known that genes are the software of life， determining what a creature will look like and where the parts go. Now American scientists have a new knowledge of genes.
Genes can predict body shape.
Scientists explains that without looking at you， he can examine a sample of your genes and tell you if you’re shaped like an hourglass① or a pear and whether you have huge hips or a beer belly.
By looking at your genes， scientists can tell how fat you are and how your body fat will be distributed.
Body fat can be inherited？
Some experts have called obesity an epidemic②. The condition has been linked to genetics， but many researchers say poor diet and lack of exercise have played a role in the increase of obesity.
Some even suspect it could be contagious③. But anyone who thinks logically about it can imagine that we might inherit the tendency， just like blue eyes or big noses.
Figuring it all out is of great importance， because obese people are at greater risk of diabetes， cardiovascular disease， cancer and more. Specifically， those shaped like apples—with their fat concentrated in the abdomen—are at much higher risk for diabetes.
Three special genes.
Three genes—named Tbx15， Gpc4， and HoxA5—express themselves so distinctly that the differences can be used to predict a person’s body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio.
This finding suggests that the expression of these genes could be related to the pathogenesis④ (production and development) of obesity.
The study need to be further carried out.
The study raises huge questions： Does body shape predict obesity， or is it a result of obesity？
While it is not clear whether this genetic activity is a cause or an effect of obesity， these data do suggest that different forms of obesity could be a developmental problem that begins very early in life.
① hourglassn. 沙漏；滴漏
② epidemicadj. 流行性，传染的； (风尚等)极为流行的 n. (流行病的)传播
③ contagiousadj. 接触传染性的； (感情等)感染性的；会蔓延的
④ pathogenesisn. 发病
基因预测体形
科学家们长时间以来一直认为，基因是生命的软件，它能决定生物体的样子和其身体各部分的生长情况。现在，美国科学家们又对基因有了新的了解和认识。
通过基因预测体形。
科学家说不需要看见你，只需要对你的基因样本进行分析就能准确说出你的体形是沙漏形的还是梨形的；而且他还能说出你的臀部是否丰满或者你是不是有个啤酒肚。
通过查看你的基因，能够说出你现在有多胖，以及你身体中的脂肪将会如何分布。
身体肥胖可以遗传？
一些专家曾认为肥胖是一种流行疾病。人们也曾把肥胖和遗传基因联系在了一起。但众多研究人员表示，不良饮食和缺乏运动是导致肥胖人数日渐增多的重要因素。
有些人甚至猜测，肥胖可能具有传染性。但是，任何一个从逻辑上考虑这个问题的人都能联想到，人们可能会通过遗传来继承这一倾向，就像人们从父母那里继承到蓝眼睛或者大鼻子一样。
弄清这一问题可谓是意义重大。因为，身体肥胖的人通常更容易患上糖尿病、心血管疾病、癌症或者其他疾病。尤其是那些“苹果身材”的人——体内脂肪大多集中在腹部——他们患糖尿病的危险还要更大一些。
3种特殊的基因表达。
研究人员发现，3种分别名为Tbx15、 Gpc4和HoxA5的基因自身表达形式非常特别，因此它们的区别可以被用来预测一个人的身体质量指数(Body Mass Index)和臀部肥胖率。
研究结果显示，这些基因的表达可能和肥胖症的发病机理有关。
研究仍需进一步深入。
这一研究也引发了一些问题，如体形可以预测肥胖，还是它只是肥胖造成的一个结果？
虽然目前，尚不清楚这种基因活动是导致肥胖的原因，还是由它引起的相应后果。但是，这些数据确实可以说明，肥胖的不同形式可能是一个从很早就开始的逐渐发展的问题。
