In a new review, researchers say there are 79 types of genetic obesity syndromes, far more than previous estimates of around 30, according to the journal Obesity Reviews.
When it comes to obesity, there's more than meets the eye: A new review of studies from Canada suggests that obesity comes in at least 79 different forms that are linked to people's genes, and many are very rare.
Although lifestyle factors, such as diet and physical activity, play major roles in obesity, research has shown that there's a genetic component of obesity as well, and in the new review, the researchers focused on the types of obesity that can be caused by genes. They looked through more than 160 studies on genetic forms of obesity. Previous reviews that tallied up the types have found that there were between 20 and 30 distinct types, the authors wrote.
