The accumulation of adipose tissue in abdominal stores is more important than the total amount of body fat in predicting the risk of several complications of obesity including insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome (cluster of metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular risk factors with impaired insulin sensitivity) (Despres and Lemieux, 2006; Tchernof and Despres, 2013) whereas the Mediterranean diet has been shown to be largely protective against these metabolic risks (Riccardi and Rivellese, 2000). The gene discussed is INS; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.