Have you ever wondered why some people can lose weight easily on a certain diet, while others struggle to see any results? Or why can some people stay fit and healthy with minimal exercise while others have to work out regularly to maintain weight? Many people face these challenges and frustrations when it comes to weight management. But what if we told you that there is a way to find out what works best for your body, based on your genes?
By understanding how your genes affect your weight, you can unlock the secrets of your metabolism, appetite, and body composition, and use this knowledge to create a personalized plan that suits your needs and goals
Take a look at this case:
Riya, a 35-year-old software engineer from Mumbai, had tried various diets and exercises, but nothing seemed to work for her. She was puzzled by how her friend, who suggested a low-fat diet, could lose weight easily, while she barely lost any weight on the same plan. That’s when she decided to take a genetic test. The test revealed that Riya had a genetic variation that made her more sensitive to carbohydrates and less responsive to exercise. This meant that she needed to follow a low-carb diet and should not stop working out to maintain the lost weight. Within a few months, she noticed a significant difference in her weight.
This is just one example of how genetic testing can help with weight management. Individual results may vary depending on various factors such as lifestyle, environment, and medical history. Genetic testing should always be done under the guidance of qualified professionals who can explain the results and provide personalized recommendations
Genetic variation is a significant factor in why people’s metabolism differs from one another. While diet and exercise are important factors, science has shown that between 50 and 80 percent of the variation in body weight can be attributed to changes in our genes. While it’s rare for a single genetic mutation to influence body weight, it’s more common for people to inherit hundreds of genetic variations, each of which has a small effect on weight loss or gain. These variations can significantly influence a person’s weight management routine when combined with lifestyle factors.
The ability to customize diet and exercise plans based on an individual’s genetics is the next frontier in weight management.
How Genes Affect Weight
Genes can affect how the body reacts to food and certain weight-loss interventions:
- Many genes can affect weight gain, such as changes in the MC4R, estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), and FTO genes.
- Some people may have genes that make them feel hungry or full more easily than others, which can lead to eating too much and gaining weight. For example, certain alleles of the FTO gene have been found to be associated with higher plasma levels of ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and lower serum levels of leptin (the satiety hormone).
- Other people may have genes that make them more likely to benefit from specific weight-loss medications or surgeries.
- Besides genes are not destiny. They are just one piece of the puzzle. Other factors like diet, exercise, stress, sleep, hormones, and gut microbiome also influence weight.
Therefore, it is important to consider all these aspects when designing a weight management plan that works for you.
A Silver Lining
Not all gene variants associated with body weight have negative effects. A large-scale study has identified genetic variants strongly associated with regulating body weight. A gene called GPR75 was found to have the strongest association with body weight, and genetic variants of this gene were correlated with a lower BMI and body weight, and a 54 percent reduced risk of obesity.
The bottom line is that weight management is a complex and multifactorial process that requires a holistic and individualized approach. Genomics can provide insights into one's weight tendencies and preferences. It can help identify the interplay between genes, nutrition, and health.
Genomic Testing and Nutrigenomics
Every individual requires a balanced diet comprising macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fibers) and micronutrients (minerals and vitamins). But no individual neither requires nor responds to the exact amount of these nutrients. Hence, there’s no one-size-fits-all diet or workout.
Genomic testing integrated with nutrigenomics (a science that studies the interaction of nutrition and genes) can reveal why certain diet, nutrients, or workout works for some and why it doesn’t work for others.
By making informed choices and adopting healthy behaviors that suit one's genetic makeup and personal goals, one can achieve a better balance between energy intake and expenditure, and improve one's overall health and well-being.
In addition to helping individuals with weight management, genomic testing and nutrigenomics can also aid in collecting data on the Indian population, which is currently underrepresented in genomic studies. This can improve our understanding of weight loss and weight gain among Indians. This is particularly important given the recent National Family Health Survey of India, which showed an alarming increase in obesity cases in the country