Is Obesity Genetic?
Could your DNA reveal obesity traits? Upload raw DNA data to learn more about your genetic predisposition to obesity.
Scientists estimate that at least 50% of obesity is driven by genetics. This does not mean that any single gene will condemn us to obesity.
Environmental factors – exercise and lifestyle – are still key, though we can better assess their overall impact with a richer understanding of our personal genetics.
How Do Genes Relate to Obesity?
Obesity is a public health crisis, and genetic scientists are intensively studying our genes to better understand their role in this epidemic.
While we have literally hundreds of genes related to fat storage and metabolism, no single gene is responsible for a high BMI. At least, that is what was believed until quite recently. A 2023 article in Newsweek reported that 80% of women in a study population with the DIDO1 and SLC12A5 genetic markers were obese. This is a remarkable correlation, and it hints at the increasing level of sophistication that genetics is gaining in terms of understanding obesity.
National Geographic’s online edition also ran a 2023 article about the deterministic nature of genetics and obesity, concluding that: “Sometimes it’s bad genes, not just bad diet, that leads an individual to gain weight more easily than others. This is no doubt true. But note that the NatGeo article uses the language of “gaining weight more easily than others”, which is not the same thing as “being obese”. What we are really talking about here is one’s genetic propensity toward obesity.
How to Use Your Genetic Information and Obesity
Environment – your food choices, the amount of physical activity you engage in, and how much stress you are under – are perhaps even more important to be aware of now that we are uncovering the nature of our genetic programming.
Consider this analogy: if you knew that you had an 80% likelihood of developing a life-threatening addiction, wouldn’t you take additional measures to avoid that substance?
This is the deep power of genomics (genetic science) and trait-analysis services like Genomelink: they help us make the most-informed decisions based on our genetic propensity toward certain illnesses.
How To Find Your Obesity Genetics
It’s easy to obtain information about your genetics and obesity.
Start by obtaining a DNA profile, which can be provided by services like 23andme and Ancestry. Then, you can upload your DNA to Genomelink for a full analysis.
You can find fascinating information on Genomelink about your traits, such as:
· Abdominal Skinfold Thickness
· Appendicular Lean Mass
· Cellulite
· Lean Body Mass
· Persistent Obesity
And the amount that you can learn about your traits will only continue to increase with the rapidly-expanding body of genetic knowledge available.
What is the Obesity Epidemic?
Over 100 million Americans – roughly a third of the population – are considered obese. This excess weight increases the likelihood of diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.
This is called an “epidemic” because it’s a new, widespread phenomenon. Next time you see an old black-and-white reel of America in the 30s or 40s, look for the obese people. You’ll see few, if any. Obesity has only become widespread in recent decades.
Without a doubt, the American diet, and an increasing lack of physical activity, are primary culprits. But now that we are gaining all of this insight into our genetics, we have additional tools to help us make the healthiest decisions for our genetic makeup.
Can Genetic Obesity Be Cured?
Perhaps, though more likely would be that the obesity epidemic is treated by a range of interventions – better foods, less sedentary living situations, new pharmaceuticals, and better diagnostics. The latter piece (diagnostics) is where genetic profiling is becoming increasingly powerful.
No single gene can condemn us to obesity, but arming ourselves with the best understanding of our genes is an increasingly important way to avoid obesity.
