Overall, our findings demonstrate that the genetic regulation of body fat distribution involves loci and processes that are largely distinct from those that influence BMI and risk of obesity. This finding is consistent with the evidence that WHR displays substantial heritability even after adjustment for BMI. The loci that emerge from this study display no overlap with those shown to be associated with BMI, either in previous reports14,15,16 or in the expanded meta-analysis recently completed by the GIANT consortium32.
