Lastly, in a study using 3 independent samples (N = 21, 107, and 154) of white blood cell collected in childhood or adolescence, DNA hypermethylation in intron 2 and 3 of POMC, a gene known to be related to greater BMI and obesity risk, was found to be associated with obesity [57]. This evidence concerns the gene POMC and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.