As rates of obesity, diabetes, and related disorders have reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. in recent years, scientists are working from many angles to pinpoint the causes and contributing factors involved in this public health crisis. While sedentary lifestyles and diets high in sugar and fat contribute significantly to the rise in diabetes rates, genetic factors may make some people more vulnerable than others to developing diabetes. Researchers at the University of Maryland are using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model system to unravel what genes and …