GENETICS AND WEIGHTLOSS

Everyone has met someone who can consume cake, ice cream, and other foods without gaining weight. On the other end of the spectrum are those who, despite eating less, always appear to gain weight. Why? What factors lead to obesity? What makes it easy for one individual to stay thin while requiring another to work hard to prevent gaining weight or gaining back the pounds they have already lost?

Genetics play a key role in weight loss by influencing metabolism, appetite, and fat storage. Variations in certain genes can make weight loss easier or more difficult for individuals. Understanding genetic predispositions helps tailor personalized weight loss strategies, combining diet, exercise, and, if needed, medical interventions for effective results.

TO WHAT EXTENT DOES GENETICS INFLUENCE WEIGHT?

Your weight is influenced by your genetics. However, it’s not a complete tale. Your weight is still greatly influenced by your environment, lifestyle, and healthy eating habits. What kind of weight-loss plans may be most effective for you also depends on your genetic makeup. It is necessary to consider each of these elements while determining the best course of action for achieving weight loss.

5 GENES THAT COMPLICATE WEIGHTLOSS-

• Food Intake: FTO

FTO gene, which stands for Fat Mass and Obesity Associated affects the amount of food a person wants to eat, and their hunger and any variations in this gene increases the levels of ghrelin (hunger hormone). To satiate their appetite, people with this gene variant often eat more because ghrelin is still released into the body after a meal. This leads to weight gain and obesity.

• Fat metabolism: PPARG

The gene encoding PPARG, a protein involved in fat metabolism, is another one that influences weight gain. PPARG helps create fat cells and the uptake of dietary fats from your blood.  Too much activation of PPARG can cause weight gain and increase the risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

• Fat breakdown: ADRB2-

The protein that is encoded by the adrenergic beta-2 surface receptor gene (ADRB2) is crucial to the breakdown of fat. It is possible for the hormone adrenaline to attach to ADRB2 and break down fat molecules, hence increasing energy. Any variations in this gene makes it difficult to lose weight.

• Efficient Functioning with Methylation (2 Genes): PGC1-alpha and Tfam

Methylation is a chemical process that helps your body function properly. If methylation doesn’t occur at a healthy rate, your metabolism may slow down. This process doesn’t change your DNA but adds chemical groups to genes like PGC1-alpha and Tfam. These genes help create mitochondria, fat burning furnace in a person’s body cells. When variation occurs in these genes, it can be linked to a higher risk of obesity.

• A variant in ADIPOQ gene-

This genetic variation is also linked to decreased amounts of the protein hormone adiponectin, which is important for energy metabolism and helps control blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance and intra-abdominal fat—fat that is stored inside the abdominal cavity—are more likely to develop in those with low adiponectin levels. Taken together, these may be linked to both difficult-to-control weight gain and Type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSION-

In essence, your weight is determined by the quantity of calories you take in, the percentage of those calories that you store, and the percentage of calories that you burn. However, a mix of genes and environment affect each of these variables. Both can have an impact on your behavior (such as the foods you choose to eat) and physiology (such as how quickly you burn calories).

At least some of the explanations for your weight increase or decrease can be found in your DNA. Some people will find it more difficult due to genetics to shed those excess pounds, and dieters who have a genetic variant may have slower weight loss than others. The most effective method to determine whether genetics influence your weight loss efforts is to take a DNA health test. Once you understand what you’re up against, you can attempt to alter your way of life, habits, and perspective to overcome your genetic make-up and take back control.