Our results are consistent with previous studies demonstrating that SNPs in the first intron of FTO bear the strongest association with obesity, of the known BMI-raising SNPs [10], [16], [19], and also are strongly associated with extremes of obesity [11], [16], [19], [20], [22], [33], [34]. The gene discussed is FTO; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.