Do your genes prevent weight loss?

Are you feeling frustrated with weight loss when the results just won’t come, no matter how hard you try? Some of us are genetically predisposed to face more challenges with weight management than others. However, this doesn’t mean the situation is hopeless. Obesity-related genes do not directly block weight loss.

Obesity genes increase the risk of weight gain

So-called obesity genes make the body more efficient at absorbing and storing nutrients. As their name suggests, these genes increase the likelihood of becoming overweight, which in turn raises the risk for conditions like type 2 diabetes.

One of the most studied genetic variations related to excess weight is found in the FTO gene (Fat mass and obesity associated). A clear link has been observed between body mass index and the A allele of this gene.

This connection appears to relate to how the FTO gene’s products are expressed in the brain’s hypothalamus. The hypothalamus helps regulate the body’s energy balance by sensing hormone and nutrient levels in the blood. This gene variant is especially connected to how energy from fat is stored, rather than how carbohydrates are used. Among different types of fat, monounsaturated fats (found in vegetable oils and seeds) seem to have the strongest effect.

For those who carry this gene variant, it’s important to be especially mindful of both the amount and the quality of the food they eat. It’s also worth highlighting that while these genes may increase the risk of weight gain, they do not make weight loss more difficult.

Many other genes have already been linked to overweight, and new research is constantly being published. According to current knowledge, many of these genes appear to have a similar effect, although they operate through slightly different mechanisms.

(Association of the FTO obesity risk variant rs8050136 with percentage of energy intake from fat in multiple racial/ethnic populations: the PAGE study. Am J Epidemiol. 2013 Sep 1;178(5):780-90.)

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