Weight Loss News and Current Events - Gene may "Trigger Unhealthy Eating"

I find this interesting...it supports my understanding of my weight...that I may tend toward more sugary and fatty foods, but that ultimately, it's my food choices that will decide my weight. It just might be harder for some to make those food choices than others!

People who carry a gene variant linked to obesity eat an average of 100 extra calories per meal, research suggests.

The key variant of the FTO gene is thought to be carried by 63% of people.

Those with the gene variant chose foods with more sugar and fat, suggesting they were instinctively drawn to them rather than healthy options.

The researchers found that the gene variant had no impact on the speed at which the body broke down food, or on how active people were.

There was also no evidence that those who carried it had any trouble registering when they were full up and should stop eating


You can read the whole article here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7773146.stm

The gene research is fascinating. Traits that had survival value when food was scarce, now work against us if we're not aware and don't take steps to compensate for them. A preference for fat and sugar, in a natural world (were such resources are scarce) would have survival value. In the modern world, not so much.

I don't think that understanding the genetic factors absolve people from responsibility, but I don't think most people would expect it to. Rather knowing more about the genes and how they work, would help us design better and more effective strategies. It might be the first steps towards developing truly individualized weight loss strategies, or even diagnosing potential issues before they are a problem.