The Genetics of Weight Loss

The Data

University researchers in the United Kingdom compared the DNA of 1,622 thin volunteers, 1,985 severely obese people, and a normal-weight control group of 10,433. They found that thin people have genetics on their side.

The study concluded that “thin” genes exists as much as “severe obesity” genes and that these are heritable traits!!!
But it’s not like switching a button on and off. There is not 1 specific gene associated with obesity.
As a matter of fact, according to Harvard Health Publishing, more than 400 genes are involved in contributing to obesity.

There are many hypotheses about why our genetics could make it hard for us to lose weight.
One hypothesis is that our bodies are primed to protect us against weight loss because energy, stored in fat, is crucial to survival. So the same genes that helped our ancestors survive food scarcity are still working to protect us, even though most of us have all the food we need and then some.

My Take

It might not come as a surprise that genetics play a role in your quest to lose a few pounds, but so what?

What runs in your family may not necessarily be your fate. How your genetics affect your weight is only one piece of the puzzle. We should pay attention to the things we have control over and not focus on the ones we don’t.

A healthy diet, exercise, and how you control stress are all things that everyone can control regardless of their genetic makeup. Start small. Begin with something you know you can commit to. Whether it’s walking 10 minutes a day, drinking an extra glass of water a day, or sleeping 30 extra minutes a day. All of these things, which you have control over, will make you feel better. And once you feel better, you’ll want to make more healthy changes in your life. JUST START WITH ONE!

In this week’s Newsletter we talked about how to use exercise and diet to balance out the genetic component of weight loss, plus we suggested a great breakfast idea.

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À bientôt,

Laurent