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Not losing weight? The answer could be in your genes

Genetic testing reveals how genes affect weight loss, cholesterol levels, and how you react to food and exercise
Last Updated 28 May 2022, 05:27 IST

Have you noticed how some people respond effortlessly to exercise while others don't see a similar result? Or how some people can eat anything under the sun and not put on weight while others gain kilos by just smelling food?

You can make tweaks in your fitness regime, change your diet and make lifestyle modifications, but you also need to consider how genes can potentially impact your overall wellness and fitness levels.

If you have questions like, "do I have a gene that makes me more likely to snack?" or "is there a reason I cannot resist eating certain types of food?" or "I've tried various diets and my cholesterol refuses to budge from its elevated levels?" or "what's the appropriate fitness regime I need to follow to help achieve my goals?" the answers lie in your genes.

Our genome is the blueprint of life; one of the most important aspects of knowing and understanding our genome is the impact it can have on our health and well-being. It arms us with information to make informed medical decisions and lifestyle choices.

Also read: Grazing, gorging or skipping: Which is better for weight loss?

We are familiar with genetic testing that enables us to accurately predict if an individual will develop an illness in the future, respond positively to treatment or suffer from a serious reaction to drugs. Similarly, current advancements in genetic research have revealed that the chemical building blocks of the genome reveal eating behaviours, nutritional needs and the diet and exercises the body will respond to best.

Nutri/Fitness-genomics testing helps identify how your genes affect the probability of weight loss, your cholesterol levels, and other health benefits in response to exercise. It reveals your potential predisposition to obesity, your tendency to regain the weight you lost and details about your metabolism. In addition, it helps you understand how your body responds to certain foods and your likelihood of having lower levels of certain vitamins and antioxidants.

A personalised genetic report sheds light on the types of foods, eating behaviours and exercises that would achieve the best results for you. Genetic tests identify key genes that have been scientifically shown to affect your appetite, reaction to food, weight loss and eating behaviours. In addition, they also analyse genes that affect your body's metabolism and response to different types of exercise. This helps a medical practitioner chart out the best and most accurate diet and exercise that will work for you.

(Dr Aparna Dhar is the Head of Department: Medical Genomics & Genetic Counseling, SRL Diagnostics)

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(Published 28 May 2022, 04:42 IST)

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