What Does DNA Have to Do with Weight Loss

What does DNA have to do with weight loss? A lot. The American Heart Association recently released ⁠study results showing women whose diet matched their genetic test lost two or three times more weight than those whose diet didn’t match.

How DNA Helps People Lose Weight

Every single person in this world has a unique genetic makeup. Each person’s genetic makeup was created by their parents with genes passed down many generations. Since there are genetic predispositions to weight, it makes sense that genes are involved. Researchers have identified those genes and study how they play a role in weight management.

What We Know About Genes and Weight Management

Genes are responsible for how the body processes everything from medications to foods and drinks. Identifying the genes that manage the body’s processing of foods and drinks and analyzing how efficient they are can help people lose weight.

Researchers have identified four genes that influence weight, body mass, and body fat. These are also involved in how the body responds to diet and exercise. They regulate how the body breaks down carbohydrates and the absorption of fat.

A DNA test analyzes the efficiency of the metabolism to dictate what type of diet people would benefit from the most. For instance, those who do not metabolize carbohydrates efficiently may benefit from a low carb diet. The same goes for fat. Analyzing the way those four genes break down fats suggests how much dietary fat should be consumed. A low-fat diet may be recommended if the body doesn’t metabolize fat as quickly as it should.

The body uses food for fuel. When there is excess “fuel”, the body stores it as fat. If people eat more carbs and fats than what their body will use, they gain weight. By knowing more about how the body uses carbs and fats, people can control the amount they use to fuel their body so there isn’t as much excess fuel.

For people who would like to lose weight, stored fat must be used by the body. This happens when there isn’t enough fuel in the body - lack of carbs, fats, and proteins. By reducing the amount of these macronutrients, people can decrease their body mass index as the body uses stored fat.

The DNA diet that many have started to refer to is simply information to use in a meal plan. Those who are fat sensitive (don’t metabolize fat as efficiently as others) should plan on eating meals that do not contain saturated fat and a small number of monosaturated fats (healthy fats such as olive oil and avocado).

Criticisms About DNA Tests for Weight Loss

Many critics of the DNA diet say that linking genes to weight loss is still in its infancy. While there’s still a lot to learn about weight management using DNA tests, it doesn’t mean it’s not a good tool to use for insight on weight gain. The more information we learn about our bodies, the more we are able to do to help improve health. The information currently available on the genetic variants in relation to diet and fitness is enough to encourage people to make effective changes to their lifestyle.

Weight Gain and COVID

It’s been incredibly difficult for most of us to focus on eating healthy due to world-wide COVID-related quarantines and the overall stress relating to the pandemic. We discussed weight gain relating to the pandemic in our recent blog post about ways to use your DNA to get your pre-quarantine body back. Our DNA kits, combined with several DNA analysis apps focused on personalized weight loss, nutrition and fitness can help reduce the ‘quarantine-15’ pounds that so many of us have gained.

DNA Test Kits for Weight Loss

DNA kits are available from Sequencing.com with two types to choose from - the Ultime DNA Test or Ultime Genome Sequencing. ⁠Simply [click here to order your DNA test kit online](https://sequencing.com/tests/order/genome-sequencing-dna-testing).

If you’ve already taken a DNA test through a genetic testing company such as 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, or DanteLabs, you can upload your raw DNA data to your account on Sequencing.com. ⁠Genetic testing for weight loss is available using our Weight Loss App. It will analyze your DNA and generate a personalized report.

⁠Click here to purchase the report once the raw DNA data has been uploaded to your secure and confidential account. Our ⁠Privacy First commitment ensures your data remains private. We never sell or share your data, including your DNA data, with anyone.