Weight Loss issues? What about your obesity gene?
We all know someone who can just gobble up everything and yet not put on weight. Don’t we? At the same time, we are also aware of another group of people who no matter how little they eat, just can’t get rid of obesity. Similarly, there are some people who hardly ever engage in any physical activity and still manage to look slim. Yet there are others who slog day and night trying to get in shape but all their efforts go in vain! Now, what could be the reason for such stark differences in weight loss issues? What allows some people to remain slim without much effort but requires a great deal of struggle from others to avoid gaining weight? Have you ever thought of it?
It’s true that your weight depends on the number of calories you consume, burn and store. But all these factors are governed by your genetic make-up that is unique for every single person. Just like your fingerprint. Yes, genes are a significant contributor to making you obese. Which means that just like persistent healthy thinness, severe obesity is also an inheritable trait. Yes, you read it right!
A genetic makeup is a deciding factor for your body type, metabolism, exercise and even the meds that would suit you the best. While, your sibling would can be thinner than you, you might have a totally different body type and shape despite having common parents. We, often notice certain kinds of exercises helping one individual in a better way as compared to another individual, in the same gym for weight loss issues. It’s very interesting and yet complex at the same time, how our genes we borrow from our family are the deciding factor of every inch in a human body. Genetics play an intriguing part in the body composition, especially when it comes to body fat. Your body is designed to store fat in certain places, depending on gender, age, and of course, your family genes. If you’re a woman, then you obviously are more likely to carry greater fat as compared to men knowing that fat plays a large role in the process of reproduction. There is no denying the fact that overweight and obesity do have a considerable genetic component, with estimates of the contribution of genetic variation to observed variation in obesity-related phenotypes (such as BMI, fat mass, and leptin levels) ranging from 30% to 70%.
Therefore, the essential fat values for men and women are 3% and 8 to 12%, respectively. Not just this, genes also determine the place where women will carry this body fat. Whether it will be around the hips and thighs or will they store fat in the upper body. Men, on the other hand, tend to carry fat in the abdomen but can also carry fat in other places. As a matter of fact, the storage of fat, regardless of gender, can play a significant role in influencing health risks. Intrigued about losing or gaining weight in spite of your efforts to do so?
We have the answer.
The answer lies in your genetic makeup! People with an average genetic predisposition to be overweight have a fair chance of losing weight on their own just by consuming lesser calories and doing vigorous exercise more often. These people are more likely to be able to maintain this lower weight.
Now the question arises how can we know if we have an obesity gene or not? And the answer is through genetic tests. Yes! Simply by gathering your saliva sample or swabbing your cheek you can receive your DNA analysis/report. It’s that easy! With DNA-based genetic testing you not only can know whether you are obese or not but can also understand your genetic risk score for the development of obesity later in life. Isn’t this amazing? Yes, it is! Wait, this doesn’t end here. Based on your personalized DNA report, you can then make the required lifestyle changes by consuming only that diet and doing those exercises that suit your body composition and genetic makeup.
