As someone who has been helping a few friends with their own fitness journeys, I'd like to ask: Do genetics actually play a big role in obesity and weight loss? I have seen various information about this from doing my own research, but I was never 100% sure about the validity of my sources. Hoping this site could clear out some misconceptions for me. Thanks in advance!
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Currently, what we know is that there could be a genetic basis for obesity, and a few studies have backed up this claim after identifying some variants in genes that contribute to the condition. To name, there are variants that have contributed to hunger episodes and food intake of an individual, which consequently increases the chances of one's tendency to be obese. On another note, however, studies have found that it could also be inherited (very rarely). In this case, it would be monogenic obesity, as only one specific variant of a gene is likely to be the cause. Generally, monogenic obesity manifests as symptoms for other known genetic conditions like Prader-Willi syndrome and Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Despite these, it is important to keep in mind that environmental factors play the biggest role in promoting obesity, as a sedentary lifestyle coupled with the surge of availability of food in one's environment can be the biggest triggers. It is believed that common obesity may be polygenic, but is still more heavily influenced by one's lifestyle choices.
Overall, research studies about the relationship between obesity/weight loss and genetics are still believed to be in their infancy stage. Hence, it is important to always be wary and cross-check any of the information we see online. Fitness journeys should be fulfilling and based on real facts only! Here are some credible sources you might want to check out:
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-causes/genes-and-obesity/
https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/resources/diseases/obesity/index.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573068/
Good luck to you and your friends, KindredOP!
- Alphagen 3.0