A new animal study indicates that the degree of change in blood triglyceride levels following a fatty meal may indicate susceptibility to diet-induced obesity. The researchers suggest that based on these findings, a simple blood test may be designed to identify those at risk for obesity.

In the study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, Friedman and lead author Hong Ji, PhD, screened rats for vulnerability to diet-induced obesity by measuring the increase in blood triglyceride levels following a single high-fat meal. They then fed the rats a diet high in fat over the next four weeks.

The researchers were able to predict which animals would become obese over the four-week period by examining the earlier metabolic response to the high-fat meal: the smaller the triglyceride change, the greater the weight gain.

The researchers hopes to determine whether such a blood test is also an effective predictor of future weight gain in humans.