An Australian study that required test subjects to gorge themselves on high-fat snacks has shown how those with a family history of diabetes tend to put on much more weight.

About 40 people took part in the research, which required them to eat an extra 1,250 calories worth of potato crisps, chocolate bars and dairy desserts every day for a month.

Unsurprisingly, everyone in the group piled on a few extra kilograms, said Dr Dorit Samocha-Bonet of the Sydney-based Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

What did come as a shock was the amount of additional weight put on by those who also reported a family history of type 2 diabetes.

“We did expect to find those people who were susceptible to developing diabetes would have more adverse effects from overfeeding,” Dr Samocha-Bonet told AAP.

“... but seeing they gained 1.2 kilograms on average (above) the other group was quite striking.”

Dr Samocha-Bonet said all those in the study were of varying weights, from lean to overweight, and they were otherwise healthy.

About half of the participants had a family history of type 2 diabetes, meaning a relative with a similar genetic make-up had developed the condition.

The study participants with a genetic link to type 2 diabetes put on an average of 3.4kg during the 28 days of deliberate overeating.

These people also showed more pronounced changes in the amount of insulin circulating in their bodies, compared with those with no family history of the condition and who put on an average of 2.2kg.

Dr Samocha-Bonet said the research showed how people could share the same poor diet, but put on different amounts of weight, depending on their genetic make-up.

And how a person’s genes could make them more likely to become overweight, placing them on a path towards related health problems including type 2 diabetes.

“The take-home message is quite positive because one can really avoid walking that path to the disease,” Dr Samocha-Bonet said.

“You can’t do anything about (your genes) but you can definitely change your lifestyle ... you can control your eating habits and exercise more.”

Dr Samocha-Bonet said study participants were put on a weight-loss strategy at the end of the research, and all returned to at least their starting weight in 12 to 14 weeks.

Those at additional risk of type 2 diabetes put on more weight, but they did not find it more difficult to lose it.

The research is published in the international journal Diabetologia.

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© 2010 AAP