"It adds to the growing weight of evidence that a wide range of genetic variants can produce a strong drive to eat.

"We hope that this will alter attitudes and practices amongst those with professional responsibility for the health and well-being of children."

Dr Matt Hurles, who also worked on the study, said: "This is the first evidence that copy number variants have been linked to a metabolic新陈代谢的 condition such as obesity.

"They are already known to cause other disorders such as autism孤独症，自闭症 and learning difficulties."

Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of the charity Weight Concern, stressed most children did not have significant genetic factors that predisposed them to obesity, and that lifestyle, diet and exercise remained important.

But he added that the causes of obesity - and the potential solutions - were complex.

He said: "The fact that several of the study children have been taken out of social care and returned to their parents as a result is disturbing in itself and must surely put an end to the claims by some that childhood obesity is a simple case of parental abuse.

"It clearly isn't. These families need our support."

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