Fa(c)t Genes

Got 'Fat Genes'? You Can Still Lose Weight : Discovery News: "On the genetics side, there’s an element of inherited predisposition toward (or increased risk factor for) obesity. Researchers have identified a “fat mass and obesity associated” (or FTO) gene that increases the likelihood that a given person with that gene will be obese by about 23 percent.

News about this so-called “fat gene” has given some overweight or obese individuals the idea that the dice are loaded and there’s little point in even trying to lose weight; dieting is difficult enough without our heredity fighting against us.

However, before you throw up your arms and blame your genes for your growing girth, there’s good news from a new study published in PLoS Medicine titled, “Physical Activity Attenuates the Influence of FTO Variants on Obesity Risk: A Meta-Analysis of 218,166 Adults and 19,268 Children."

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