We’ve been battling obesity crisis for 12.5million years!

FAST food and modern lifestyles are often blamed for the obesity crisis.

But human ancestors may have begun getting fat 12.5 million years ago, a study said.

It is well known that modern-day humans have a sweet tooth, gorging on sugary treats which cause us to put on weight.

But analysis of the teeth of an early ancestor of humans and apes, which lived around 12.5 million years ago, now suggests our ancient relative was doing the same thing.

The tooth decay identified suggests the creatures which evolved into humans stuffed themselves with honey and highsugar fruits. The new evidence supports the theory our ancestors and modern humans both have a genetic mutation which causes sugar in the body to turn into fat.

But, while it was helpful so our ancestors could build up fat reserves when food was scarce in winter, for us it can lead to obesity, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Professor Madelaine Bohme, co-author of the study from Tübingen University, said: ‘A mutation which happened millions of years ago is largely responsible for early great apes being able to settle Eurasia and to produce an enormous diversity of species.

‘We carry that legacy within us. But this advantage has turned into a handicap for us in a world of industrially produced foodstuffs.’ The German study analysed the teeth of Dryopithecus carinthiacus, the earliest known member of the human family.