Your body’s a product of nurture rather than nature

Published: November 1, 2013 2:09am EDT

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The genetic influence on a person’s body mass index (BMI) is lower than scientists initially thought, with environmental factors playing a more significant role.

Researchers from the University of Queensland compared DNA and BMI data from 20,240 pairs of siblings, finding only 42% of BMI is influenced by genetics.

The research counters existing beliefs that more than 80% of BMI is due to genetic factors.

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