Obesity is rising dramatically across the world. Since 1975 it is estimated that the number of obese people has almost tripled. One of the chronic diseases that is linked to obesity is type 2 diabetes. The dramatic rise in individuals suffering from this disease is causing a global medical emergency. In a world where our knowledge of the importance of diet and exercise is at a peak, the battle against being overweight is being lost. Scientists worldwide have attempted to find a link between obesity and genotype. Individuals vary greatly in their tendency to lay down fat in the body. This suggests that there is a genetic predisposition to fat storage. (With thanks to our sponsor 'Curriculum Press' for providing content for this podcast)