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Slimmer Who Shed 12 Stone to Help With Gene Study into Obesity
A study into the genetic causes of obesity is being piloted in Sheffield with the help of a fitness specialist who lost 12 stones. Dave Birds, a health and fitness specialist at the city's Concord Sports Centre, has joined forces with researchers from Sheffield Hallam University to carry out the 12-week study to determine whether naturally-produced serotonin makes people react differently to exercise. Mr Birds, who dropped from 26 stones to 14 stones two years ago, said: "It is great to be part of such an important piece of research, which we hope will give us a better understanding of the underlying reasons why some people struggle more than others when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle."
To see how genetics dictate how easy or difficult it is for someone to adopt a healthy lifestyle, Mr Birds will put volunteers through their paces in a series of free sessions designed to combat obesity. Dr Jeff Breckon, who is leading the study at Sheffield Hallam University, said: "It is increasingly evident that the difficulty in forming healthy habits may include genetic factors and processes that may inhibit and make change more difficult." "This study will help us to begin to understand the processes involved from a behavioural and genetic perspective."
