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The continuing surge in the global prevalence of obesity, which is the driving force behind the projected pandemic of type 2 diabetes and its cardiovascular complications by , 1 , 2 is certainly due to socioeconomic, cultural and other environmental changes that promote overeating and discourage physical activity. However, there are many individuals exposed to these same obesogenic and diabetogenic environments who, apparently without conscious effort, do not become obese, and still others who are obese but metabolically healthy in that they do not show risks for the metabolic syndrome.
But equally valid are the arguments that lifestyle effects and behaviors may also be inherited, thereby propelling us into the complex area of geneβenvironment interactions. These interactions between nature and nurture are expressed through a multitude of observable characteristics or traits that is, phenotypic outcomes , some of which may have diagnostic identification and prognostic predictive values pertaining to obesity and its co-morbidities.
The enormous challenges faced by the researchers in the field of human phenotyping today can be encapsulated by three questions: What to phenotype?
