Latest news with #genes
The Independent
06-08-2025
- Health
- The Independent
How a mother's genes can determine their child's weight for life
A mother's genes could play a role in determining a child's future weight – more so than a father's. Researchers at University College London (UCL) investigated how a parent's weight and genes influence their children's weight and diet from birth to age 17. To make the comparison, researchers used genetic and health data of 2,621 UK families in the Millennium Cohort Study, a UK birth cohort study of individuals born in 2001-2002. The study, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, looked at the BMI of parents and the birthweight of their children. They also looked at the child's diet at ages three, five, seven, 11, 14, and 17. Children's diets were assessed through self-reported records of how often and how much they consumed different food groups, including fruit, vegetables, fast food, and sugary drinks. Researchers then separated the direct effects of inherited genes from the indirect effects of genes that were not inherited. Study authors explained that non-inherited genes can still influence children's outcomes by influencing the development environment, such as conditions in the womb and parenting practices, as these are shaped by parents' genetics. Analysis revealed that while both parents' genetics influence a child's BMI, a mother's BMI continued to affect the child's weight beyond direct genetic inheritance. Researchers suggest this means genetic nurture, where a parent's genes shape the environment they create for their child, might be a big factor in a child's weight. This could be the case if a mother's genes influence her own weight, eating habits, or behaviours during pregnancy, which in turn can affect the child's development and long-term health. Dr Liam Wright, the study's lead author, said: ' Mothers ' genetics appear to play an important role in influencing their child's weight over and above the child's genetics. 'In addition to the genes mums directly pass on, our findings suggest that maternal genetics are instrumental in shaping the environment in which the child develops, therefore indirectly influencing the child's BMI too.' Almost a third of children aged two to 15 were considered to be obese or overweight in 2024, according to NHS data. However, researchers acknowledge BMI is not the most accurate way of measuring body fat, particularly among children, and so supplemented their analysis with several other adiposity-related measures, including fat mass. Dr Wright added: 'This isn't about blaming mothers, rather, supporting families to make a meaningful difference to children's long-term health. Targeted interventions to reduce maternal BMI, particularly during pregnancy, could reduce the intergenerational impacts of obesity."
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Is the Sydney Sweeney ‘Great Jeans' American Eagle Ad Causing a Social Media Firestorm?
Photo: Courtesy of American Eagle; Glamour Composite This article was updated on August 4. If you've caught the new Sydney Sweeney 'Great Jeans' American Eagle ad, chances are you've also caught wind that there's been some controversy over it. The campaign was meant to be a cheeky play on the word jeans, which is a homophone of the word genes, but has spiraled into an online discussion about beauty standards, white supremacy, and more. So what's the deal? Do the ad's critics have a point? Or is this all a little overblown, as things tend to get on the internet? Join us for a deep dive into the controversy on the latest edition of TL;DR. Give me the TL;DR. On July 23, American Eagle launched its new fall campaign with Sweeney as the face, titled 'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.' In addition to the images, which were styled by Sweeney's regular stylist Molly Dickson, the campaign features an ad in which Sweeney defines the scientific word 'genes' while pulling on her American Eagle jeans. 'Genes are passed down from parents to offspring,' Sweeney says in the clip, 'often determining traits like hair color, personality, and even eye color. My genes are blue.' Then, a voice-over says the campaign's tagline, 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.' Pretty soon after it was posted online, several social media users on X, TikTok, and elsewhere criticized the ad for seemingly endorsing fat-phobic beauty standards and white supremacy. 'If you're insisting the Sydney Sweeney ad isn't a dog whistle you're either disingenuous or stupid,' wrote one person on X. Wait, I need more. What's the background here? In the press release sent by American Eagle, the campaign is described as a fun way to celebrate making people feel and look great in their AE denim. 'A truly iconic moment, Sydney brings her signature blend of cultural influence and individuality to the brand for a campaign that is highly editorialized, fresh, creative and a little bit cheeky,' the release states. It also seems to be inspired by an ad Brooke Shields once made for Calvin Klein. In that commercial, Shields, who was 15 years old at the time, describes the 'genetic code,' while also struggling to put on a pair of jeans over her silky pajama bottoms. The Calvin Klein ads have been heavily criticized for the way the underage Shields was sexualized, something she addressed to Vogue in 2021. 'I think the assumption was that I was much more savvy than I ever really was. I was a virgin, and I was a virgin forever after that,' she said. The political and cultural landscape is a lot different in 2025 than it was in 1980. For one thing, Sweeney is often an unwilling lightning rod for discussions about beauty standards and how they intersect with politics. A comedian once opined that Sweeney must have grown up politically conservative because she is blonde with big boobs, for instance. Then there was the discourse surrounding Sweeney's Dr. Squatch soap, infused with her own bathwater. Though Sweeney was attempting to take control of the objectification she's been constantly subjected to throughout her career, it was harpooned by some online as catering to the patriarchy and a backslide for the feminist cause. Anyway, in this context, the implication that Sweeney—who is blonde-haired and blue-eyed—has both great 'jeans' and great 'genes' struck some as reminiscent of eugenics. What are the arguments? One content creator on TikTok claimed that the Sweeney ad is an example of the BEIGE acronym, which stands for Boring and Engineered to Identify with Gentrification and Eugenics. Others pointed out that the campaign seemed less catered toward actual customers and more toward raising its stock price. On X, a user wrote that Sweeney is 'a great example of white supremacy being the only way a lot of people derive self esteem.' Another commented, 'That american eagle sydney sweeney campaign would not suck if they added other people to go with the 'I've got good genes/jeans' play on words instead of just a white blonde blue eyed woman.' However, plenty of other creators and users think this discourse has gotten way out of hand. Said one creator on TikTok, 'Maybe I'm not woke enough but what's the big deal?' On X, one user agreed, writing, 'I really think that the internet is doing too much with the American Eagle Sydney Sweeney jeans/genes campaign. Like it's not that serious.' Predictably, the backlash to the ad has been characterized by the right as an overreaction by the 'woke mob.' This branding of the backlash as nothing more than left-wing hysteria plays easily into partisan narratives. 'American Eagle's Sydney Sweeney ad triggers cancel-culture mob,' reads a headline on Fox News. Several conservative politicians have also weighed in on the backlash to the ad. 'Wow. Now the crazy Left has come out against beautiful women,' Senator Ted Cruz wrote on X. 'I'm sure that will poll well.' A little over a week after the ad was released, several outlets published Sweeney's alleged voter registration details. According to The Guardian, the actor has been registered as a Republican in the state of Florida since June 2024. This discovery prompted a reaction from President Trump, who told reporters on August 3, 'She's a registered Republican? Oh, now I love her ad!' 'You'd be surprised at how many people are Republicans,' he continued. 'That's what I wouldn't have known. But I'm glad you told me that. If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic!' Has Sydney Sweeney or American Eagle responded to the controversy? Sweeney hasn't yet commented on the backlash. On August 1, American Eagle released the following statement: ''Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story.' The statement concludes, 'We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.' Will anyone still care about this in two weeks? This feels like the kind of controversy designed to die down in a matter of days, though this particular scandal seems to have struck a chord. Originally Appeared on Glamour Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
05-08-2025
- Health
- The Independent
The genetic factor that could impact a child's future weight, according to experts
A mother's genes could play a role in determining a child's future weight – more so than a father's. Researchers at University College London (UCL) investigated how a parent's weight and genes influence their children's weight and diet from birth to age 17. To make the comparison, researchers used genetic and health data of 2,621 UK families in the Millennium Cohort Study, a UK birth cohort study of individuals born in 2001-2002. The study, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, looked at the BMI of parents and the birthweight of their children. They also looked at the child's diet at ages three, five, seven, 11, 14, and 17. Children's diets were assessed through self-reported records of how often and how much they consumed different food groups, including fruit, vegetables, fast food, and sugary drinks. Researchers then separated the direct effects of inherited genes from the indirect effects of genes that were not inherited. Study authors explained that non-inherited genes can still influence children's outcomes by influencing the development environment, such as conditions in the womb and parenting practices, as these are shaped by parents' genetics. Analysis revealed that while both parents' genetics influence a child's BMI, a mother's BMI continued to affect the child's weight beyond direct genetic inheritance. Researchers suggest this means genetic nurture, where a parent's genes shape the environment they create for their child, might be a big factor in a child's weight. This could be the case if a mother's genes influence her own weight, eating habits, or behaviours during pregnancy, which in turn can affect the child's development and long-term health. Dr Liam Wright, the study's lead author, said: ' Mothers ' genetics appear to play an important role in influencing their child's weight over and above the child's genetics. 'In addition to the genes mums directly pass on, our findings suggest that maternal genetics are instrumental in shaping the environment in which the child develops, therefore indirectly influencing the child's BMI too.' Almost a third of children aged two to 15 were considered to be obese or overweight in 2024, according to NHS data. However, researchers acknowledge BMI is not the most accurate way of measuring body fat, particularly among children, and so supplemented their analysis with several other adiposity-related measures, including fat mass. Dr Wright added: 'This isn't about blaming mothers, rather, supporting families to make a meaningful difference to children's long-term health. Targeted interventions to reduce maternal BMI, particularly during pregnancy, could reduce the intergenerational impacts of obesity."
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Humans may have untapped 'superpowers' from genes related to hibernation, scientists claim
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Hibernating mammals rely on particular genes to adjust their metabolisms as they enter that unique, low-energy state — and humans actually carry that same hibernation-related DNA. Now, early research hints that leveraging this particular DNA could help treat medical conditions in people, scientists say. Hibernation offers "a whole bunch of different biometrically important superpowers," senior study author Christopher Gregg, a human genetics professor at the University of Utah, told Live Science. For example, ground squirrels can develop reversible insulin resistance that helps them rapidly gain weight before they hibernate but starts fading as hibernation gets underway. A better understanding of how hibernators flip this switch could be useful for tackling the insulin resistance that characterizes type 2 diabetes, Gregg suggested. Hibernating animals also protect their nervous systems from damage that could be caused by sudden changes in blood flow. "When they come out of hibernation, their brain is reperfused with blood," Gregg said. "Often that would cause a lot of damage, like a stroke, but they've developed ways to prevent that damage from happening." Gregg and his colleagues think tapping into hibernation-related genes in people could unlock similar benefits. Related: Best-ever map of the human genome sheds light on 'jumping genes,' 'junk DNA' and more A 'hub' of hibernation genes In a pair of studies published Thursday (July 31) in the journal Science, Gregg and his team pinpointed key levers that control genes related to hibernation, showing how they differ between animals that hibernate and those that don't. Then, in the lab experiments, they delved into the effects of deleting these levers in lab mice. Although mice don't hibernate, they can enter torpor — a lethargic state of decreased metabolism, movement and body temperature that typically lasts for less than a day — after fasting for at least six hours. This made mice a suitable genetic model for studying these effects. Using the gene-editing technique CRISPR, the scientists engineered mice with one of five conserved noncoding cis elements (CREs) deactivated, or "knocked out." These CREs act as levers to control genes that, in turn, code for proteins that carry out biological functions. The CREs targeted in the study lie near a gene cluster called the "fat mass and obesity-related locus," or the FTO locus, which is also found in humans. Gene variants found within the cluster have been tied to an elevated risk of obesity and related conditions. Broadly speaking, the FTO locus is known to be important for controlling metabolism, energy expenditure and body mass. By knocking out the CREs, the researchers were able to change the mice's weights, metabolic rates and foraging behaviors. Some deletions sped up or slowed down weight gain, others turned metabolic rate up or down, and some affected how quickly the mice's body temperatures recovered after torpor, the researchers said in a statement. This finding is "highly promising," particularly given the FTO locus plays a well-known role in human obesity, Kelly Drew, a specialist on hibernation biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, told Live Science in an email. Knocking out one CRE — called E1 — in female mice caused them to gain more weight on a high-fat diet than did a comparison group with all of their DNA intact. Deleting a different CRE, called E3, changed the foraging behavior of both male and female mice, specifically changing how they searched for food hidden in an arena. "This suggests that important differences in foraging and decision processes may exist between hibernators and non-hibernators and the elements we uncovered might be involved," Gregg said. Unknowns to address The study authors said their results could be relevant to humans, since the underlying genes don't differ much between mammals. "It's how [the mammals] turn those genes on and off at different times and then for different durations and in different combinations that shape different species," Gregg said. However, "it's definitely not as simple as introducing the same changes in human DNA," Joanna Kelley, a professor who specialises in functional genomics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, told Live Science in an email. "Humans are not capable of fasting-induced torpor, which is the reason why mice are used in these studies," said Kelley, who was not involved in the work. She suggested that future work include animals incapable of torpor, and focus on unpacking all the downstream effects of the deleted CREs. As is, the current study "definitely points the field in a new direction" in terms of how scientists understand the genetic controls driving changes in hibernators throughout the year, she added. Drew also highlighted that torpor in mice is triggered by fasting, while true hibernation is triggered by hormonal and seasonal changes and internal clocks. So while the CREs and genes the study identified are likely critical parts of a metabolic "toolkit" that responds to fasting, they may not be a "master switch" that turns hibernation on or off. RELATED STORIES —Scientists may be able to put Mars-bound astronauts into 'suspended animation' using sound waves, mouse study suggests —'Let's just study males and keep it simple': How excluding female animals from research held neuroscience back, and could do so again —Weight loss may 'rejuvenate' fat tissue in the body "Nevertheless, uncovering these fundamental mechanisms in a tractable model like the mouse is an invaluable stepping stone for future research," Drew said. Gregg emphasized that much remains unknown, including why the effects of some deletions differed in female mice versus male mice or how the changes in foraging behavior seen in mice might manifest in humans. The team also plans to research what would happen if they deleted more than one hibernation-linked CRE at a time in mice. Down the line, Gregg thinks it could be possible to tweak the activity of humans' "hibernation hub genes" with drugs. The idea would be that this approach could yield the benefits of that gene activity — like neuroprotection — without patients having to actually hibernate, he said. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
American Eagle's Crystal-Clear Defense Of Controversial Sydney Sweeney Ads Signals A Lot
American Eagle has responded to the widespread backlash over its ads featuring actor Sydney Sweeney, but noticeably missing from the brand's statement was an apology or any real acknowledgement of how so many people interpreted the ads. The company, as well as Sweeney, have come under fire since the release of a new ad campaign that features the 'Euphoria' actor saying that genes are 'passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,' and 'my jeans are blue.' Many people believe the wordplay in the campaign, which features the tagline 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,' promotes the idea that Eurocentric features are more valuable and desirable. In response, American Eagle released a statement on Friday on Instagram defending its campaign. ''Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story,' the statement read. 'We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.' American Eagle's posted statement spurred a wide range of reactions in the comment section. Many criticized the brand for ignoring the fact that it had clearly used 'jeans' as a double entendre for 'genes.' 'So now 'jeans' are passed down from parents to offspring?' one commenter wrote, adding, 'it was never about jeans.' 'So what is the correlation between Jeans and eye color again?' wrote another. Others celebrated the company for its unapologetic tone, saying American Eagle's response indicated the end of the 'woke era' because the brand didn't cave to a 'liberal meltdown.' 'Don't cater to the woke — keep making great denim AE,' one Instagram user wrote. American Eagle did not immediately respond to HuffPost's request for comment on the mixed responses to its statement on Instagram. But the discourse surrounding the American Eagle/Sweeney controversy has been largely divided along political lines. Prominent conservatives like former Fox News host Megyn Kelly and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have passionately defended the campaign, despite critics' concerns that it promotes eugenics. On Monday, President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the campaign was the ''HOTTEST' ad out there.' Regardless of how anyone feels about the ad, American Eagle's decision to double down amid backlash reveals a lot about our current political climate, according to experts in political science. American Eagle's response minimized, undermined and ignored the criticism about the ad, experts say. T Smith, a postdoctoral fellow in racial politics at Johns Hopkins University's Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, said that American Eagle's response to the backlash 'goes beyond merely doubling down.' 'It actively undermines the idea that there was anything harmful or worthy of critique in the first place,' Smith told HuffPost. 'By framing the campaign as a wholesome story merely about jeans (and not genes) and refusing to acknowledge the detriment of their messaging, they participate in normalizing and reinforcing the very hierarchies — which are rooted in white supremacist logics — that the ad evoked.' 'This kind of erasure functions to prop up eugenicist and racial hierarchy ideals as if they are normal, apolitical, and above examination,' they continued. 'That isn't a passive avoidance. It is an attempt to preserve those power structures as a cultural baseline immune from challenge.' Tabitha Bonilla, an associate professor of political science and human development and social policy at Northwestern University, told HuffPost that she believes it seemed as though American Eagle 'more or less brushed the criticism off rather than directly address it or let those with negative reactions know that they have been heard.' 'They effectively tried to reuse their message about 'great jeans' to say they looked good on everyone, and in this both minimized and ignored criticism that they were playing into eugenic tropes about who has good genes,' she said. What American Eagle's response says about our current political climate. Smith emphasized that Trump's response to the ads in itself says quite a lot. The company's refusal to apologize shows that corporate power 'continues to function as a stabilizing force for a capitalist, white supremacist, and patriarchal order,' they said, before adding that 'capitalism has always depended on the elevation of whiteness as the default and the ideal.' Smith said that American Eagle's refusal to engage its critics goes beyond avoiding controversy. 'Capitalism doesn't merely ignore white supremacist ideology,' they said. 'It relies on it, rebrands it, and sells it back to us under the guise of fashion.' Furthermore, Smith thinks American Eagle's response was 'deeply insulting' and 'profoundly patronizing' to the public. 'Hierarchical, eugenicist, and sexualized messaging are not required to sell jeans,' they said. 'This was deliberate. The messaging was intentional, and so was the denial of its implications.' Bonilla said that in our current political climate, there's been a lot of discussion among Democrats about whether the Kamala Harris campaign spent too much time on diversity and inclusion and whether 'these messages made Democrats lose voters to Trump' — though she noted that there's a lot of disagreement about this issue. Nonetheless, she pointed out that the controversy surrounding the ad campaign is 'happening [against] the backdrop of attacks on DEI and education around race specifically and identity generally.' 'So unlike in 2020, when people and companies were more likely to be sensitive to issues of prejudice, we are seeing almost the opposite of that response where people feel less beholden to ideas of equality,' she said. How American Eagle's response might've been different five years ago. 'I do think there has been a shift in how public entities are responding when thinking about identity [more] broadly,' Bonilla said. 'People are emboldened to minimize (and at times antagonize) others based on race or other identities. In 2020, there was a push for people and corporations to be more thoughtful and careful about identity and inclusion, but since Trump's election in 2024, some companies have rushed to end DEI programs, and there appears to be effort to distance oneself from DEI efforts.' Smith said that companies nowadays may not even see the 'performance of care' to be necessary. 'Five years ago, a brand like American Eagle might have issued a vague statement about 'listening and learning' not out of conviction, but because the cultural moment demanded at least the performance of care,' they said. 'That performance is no longer seen as necessary.' Smith emphasized that we're seeing a reversal of the so-called 'racial reckoning.' 'By refusing to address the racist implications of their campaign, American Eagle is actively normalizing and reifying white supremacist narratives and the notion that white people — namely those [with] blonde hair and blue eyes — are inherently and unequivocally more valuable,' they said. And Smith believes that the company's response signals a 'broader political movement where complicity with racist ideas has become an unspoken corporate strategy.' Brands, overall, are 'no longer afraid to align themselves, whether overtly or tacitly, with exclusionary and harmful ideologies because doing so sustains existing power structures and appeals to a particular segment of consumers,' they said. Smith said demands for accountability and change are 'more urgent than ever.' Related... Trump Had This Telling Reaction Upon Learning Of Sydney Sweeney's Political Party Affiliation American Eagle Defends Sydney Sweeney's Jeans Ads After Intense Backlash Ted Cruz Is Weirdly Invested In The Backlash To Sydney Sweeney's Jeans Ad Solve the daily Crossword
