Evidence mapPaperPMID 41318678Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of obesity (2005)2026

Gene-environment interplay explaining individual variation in BMI outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies using polygenic indices.

Marthe de Roo, Catharina A Hartman, Maria Wiertsema, Tina Kretschmer

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of obesity (2005), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Marthe de RooFaculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of Pedagogy and Educational Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. marthe.de.roo@rug.nl.ORCID 0000-0003-2769-5896
Catharina A HartmanInterdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation (ICPE), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Maria WiertsemaFaculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of Pedagogy and Educational Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Tina KretschmerDepartment of Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGenetic and environmental factors are both associated with weight outcomes, but it remains unclear to what extent environmental exposures are consistently associated beyond genetic predisposition, and to what extent they modify genetic risk.

methodsWe meta-analyzed evidence on gene-environment interplay and individual variation in BMI and related outcomes, focusing on peer-reviewed studies examining environmental exposures and using polygenic indices for BMI. Six electronic databases (APA PsycArticles, APA PsycInfo, ERIC, MEDLINE, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, SocINDEX) were searched through April 2025. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and quality criteria for gene-environment interaction studies.

resultsThe meta-analysis included 1161 estimates from 88 studies: 153 estimates of main genetic associations, 283 of associations between environmental factors and BMI outcomes controlling for a polygenic index for BMI, and 725 of gene-environment interactions (G×E). Genetic predisposition for BMI was positively associated with BMI for all ancestry groups. The overall association between environmental exposures and BMI, controlling for genetic risk, was r = 0.12 (p < 0.001; 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.16) for both European and combined ancestry groups. Overall G×E effects ranged from r = 0.06 to 0.12 (all p < 0.001), depending on ancestry group and whether imputed effect sizes were included. Separate meta-analyses by type of environmental exposure yielded overall associations that were largely comparable in magnitude, consistent with moderation analyses indicating that there were no significant differences in effect sizes across different exposure categories.

conclusionsThis meta-analysis highlights the importance of both genetic and environmental factors in explaining variation in BMI. Most studies did not account for gene-environment correlation confounding and focused primarily on European ancestry populations. Future research should prioritize methodologies that address bias and focus on underrepresented ancestry groups to improve inclusivity.

Indexed as

Body Mass IndexGene-Environment InteractionMultifactorial InheritanceObesityGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseHumans

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What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.