Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology

Obesity is heritable and predisposes to many diseases. To understand the genetic basis of obesity better, here we conduct a genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used to define obesity and assess adiposity, in upto 339,224 individuals. This analysis identifies 97 BMI-associated loci (P 20% of BMI variation. Pathway analyses provide strong support for a role of the central nervous systemin obesity susceptibility and implicate new genes and pathways, including those related to synaptic function, glutamate signalling, insulin secretion/action, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis

Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology

Based on fieldwork in Trento, Italy, this paper investigates the process of playlisting in three commercial radio stations, illustrating the implicit and explicit norms that define this process. I call special attention to DJs and their activity of mediation between music makers and their audience – an activity that includes the choice and the manipulation of musical material for precise communicative goals. It is my aim to show how the definition of what is appropriate for the playlist, which I define as “playlist value”, is subject to different kinds of constraints. Among these, on the one hand we find more pressing structural restrictions from advertisers, music labels and functional features of the radio; on the other hand, we find less urgent, and yet just as effective cultural constraints, that push DJs to adjust their playlists to those of national network