A Twin Study of Human Obesity
Abstract
Height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were assessed in a sample of 1974 monozygotic and 2097 dizygotic male twin pairs. Concordance rates for different degrees of overweight were twice as high for monozygotic twins as for dizygotic twins. Classic twin methods estimated a high heritability for height, weight, and BMI, both at age 20 years (.80, .78, and .77, respectively) and at a 25-year follow-up (.80, .81, and .84, respectively). Height, weight, and BMI were highly correlated across time, and a path analysis suggested that the major part of that covariation was genetic. These results are similar to those of other twin studies of these measures and suggest that human fatness is under substantial genetic control.
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Evidence from studies of families, twins, and adopted children shows that at least 40-70% of the variation in body weight is explainable by genetic factors (heritability).
“Evidence from studies of families, twins, and adopted children shows that at least 40–70% of the variation in body weight is explainable by genetic factors (heritability).90–92”
From Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity (2025) · cites this paper as [91]
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- Authors
- Stunkard, A. J.
- Corresponding author
- Stunkard, Albert J.
- Venue
- JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association
- Publisher
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- Published
- 1986-07-04
- Volume
- 256
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 51
- ISSN
- 0002-9955 (ISSN-L)
- 0098-7484
- OpenAlex
- W2001913879
- Cited by
- 912
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 44 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 53 · 2012: 46
- FWCI
- 9.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- JAMA (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5k05mh000245-13)
- National Institute of Mental Health (5-KO5-MH-00245)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Physical Performance
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Keywords
- obesity, heritability, monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, body mass index, height, weight, concordance rate, path analysis
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Body Height, Body Weight, Diseases in Twins, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Mathematics, Military Personnel, National Academy of Sciences, U.S., Obesity, Registries, Twins, Dizygotic, Twins, Monozygotic, United States
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