Skinny And 119 Pounds, But With The Health Hallmarks Of Obesity

A small group of thin patients who develop disorders typically tied to obesity pose a medical mystery and a potential opportunity for scientists.
Jose Luis Pelaez Inc.. via Getty Images

Claire Walker Johnson of Queens was a medical mystery. No matter how much she ate, she never gained weight.

And yet Ms. Johnson, with a long narrow face, had the conditions many obese people develop — Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and, most strikingly, a liver buried in fat.

She and a very small group of very thin people like her have given scientists surprising clues to one of the most important questions about obesity: Why do fat people often develop serious and sometimes life-threatening medical conditions?

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