A gene linked to obesity and over-eating may also raise the risk of the most deadly form of skin cancer, research has shown.
People with a particular DNA modification within the FTO gene may be more likely to develop malignant melanoma.
Previous research has shown that variations in a different part of the gene are a major risk factor for obesity.
Until now there has been no evidence that obesity and melanoma are linked.
The new findings, published in the journal Nature Genetics, suggest that FTO has more wide-ranging functions than previously thought.
Lead scientist Dr Mark Iles, from the University of Leeds, said: "When scientists have tried to understand how the FTO gene behaves, so far they've only examined its role in metabolism and appetite. But it's now clear we don't know enough about what this intriguing gene does."
The researchers analysed the DNA of more than 13,000 melanoma patients and almost 60,000 people without the disease from around the world. One DNA variant in FTO was found to increase the risk of melanoma by 16%.
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