Breeding and selection procedures in intensive pig production are focused on increasing carcass yield with reducing the level of fatness, which has led to a lower quality of meat. Among the most intensively investigated traits that influence the quality of meat are intramuscular fat, backfat and fatness characteristics. Accumulation of intramuscular fat is different between individual breeds of pigs and it has influence on the processes of breeding, quality of meat, meatness and also on the health status. With the discovery of the fat mass and obesity gene (FTO) and its association with higher obesity risk in humans, new possibilities of researching are associated with fat deposition and related traits, using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and confirm the role of this gene in fatness across species and the health status of pigs. High variability between certain breed of pigs showed us that the genetic basis and the number of mutations in FTO gene have a significant effect on observed characteristics. Among the most researched polymorphisms in the FTO gene are intron (c.46- 139A>T; g.276T>G; g.170T>G) and exon regions (c.594C>G, g.307C>T) of the gene. Based on previous studies and published results, significant effect (p<0.05) of the mutation in FTO gene was established for intramuscular fat and backfat values. Despite the results obtained in previous research, there is necessity for further investigations in different breeds of pigs in order to establish the effect of mutation in FTO gene on the important economic characteristics but its role as a potential candidate gene that influence also the health status of individuals. Comparative genomic studies between humans and pigs may bring new insights into genetics and improve knowledge of the present variability in certain areas of the FTO gene locus. Obesity as a result of the increased accumulation of fat in the body, represent a significant health problem in humans. Future knowledge may contribute to better understanding of the role of particular genes and their polmorphisms in the development of obesity, metabolic syndrome and other diseases associated with lipid metabolism.