"Type 2 diabetes used to be a disease that struck people in later life, but in the UK and some other developed countries we're seeing a worrying increase of this problem amongst overweight teenagers and younger adults. In the UK, 30% of teenagers are overweight or obese so it's crucial that we understand the fundamental biology of weight-related diseases so that we can develop better ways of preventing, treating and managing this serious problem."

The researchers hope that this study might lead to new insights into how to combat type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Professor Docherty concluded: "The number one way of reducing the number of overweight people is improving diet and encouraging exercise, but we hope our research might eventually offer insights that lead to new treatments including drugs to reduce these high-risk fat stores around organs."

Source: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council