New research suggests that diet and exercise aren't the only leading causes of obesity. A new study supports the notion there are more genetic links to obesity than previously believed.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of U.S. adults are obese. Many obese adults are criticized for lifestyle and behavioral choices, which may not always be the driving factors behind various health issues. The findings may help investigate why some individuals are more likely than others to gain weight.

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"Although lifestyle modifications may result in lasting weight loss in individuals who are overweight, in those with chronic obesity, body weight seems to become biologically 'stamped in' and defended," said lead author Dr. Christopher Ochner, a pediatrics and psychiatry professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

The paper argues obesity should be treated and talked about more as a disease of addiction, like drugs and alcohol. Ochner argues low-calorie diets often only serve to accentuate the biological response that drives humans to over-consume high-calorie foods.

Obesity treatment experts are taking the first steps toward identifying the specific genes that contribute to obesity. Proteins produced by genes could offer targets for the development of new drugs to fight obesity.

Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

The authors urge the public to rethink the way we talk about obesity by using language that's more reflective of morbid obesity functioning the same way as a chronic disease.

By re-examining obesity research with a new focus on how these genes work, researchers are hoping to get to the root of the problem by discovering which genes influence where fat is deposited.

Tagsdiet, exercise, obesity, obese, health concerns, Heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, Cancer, health problem