Unable to lose those extra kilos despite following a strict diet regime? Blame your genes, as a new study has found that genes affect a person’s ability to shed weight.
According to researchers from Stanford University, in the US, the secret to losing weight could be down to a person’s genes rather than how strictly they adhere to a diet.
The team came to the conclusion after analysing the mouth swabs from more than 100 overweight women who had tried various diets.
They also studied the women’s DNA for five genes linked to how the body uses fat and carbohydrate.
The team found that women following diets that matched their genotype, or genetic make-up, shed nearly a stone on average over a year - almost three times more than the other women.
These women also saw their waistlines reduced by 2.6 inches on average, compared with 1.2 inches, lead researcher Christopher Gardner told the annual conference of American Heart Association.
“The differentiation in weight loss for individuals who followed a diet matched to their genotype versus one that was not matched to their genotype is highly significant and represents an approach to weight loss that has not previously been reported in literature,” said Dr. Gardner.
Using genetic information would “be important in helping to solve the pervasive problem of excessive weight in our society,” he added.
The study also found that there was roughly a 50:50 split between those best suited to low—fat and low—carbohydrate diets respectively.
