How Much Of A Role Does Genetics Play In Your Ability To Lose Weight?
There are huge debates on the topic and it is undeniable that a parents microbiome is passed on to their children, alongside a set of genes.
What research is beginning to show, is that our genes load the gun, but our environment pulls the trigger.
Here's A Personal Example For You
I am sure Alice won't mind me saying that both our weights have been significantly up and down over the years.
What we were told as children; "Your Father is a kiwi - you're big boned!"
Our Mum was pretty incredible. But amongst the healthy food, we were exposed to a rapidly changing food environment with sugary cereal, chocolate bars, nutella (a personal addiction of mine!) and carbohydrate rich foods at every turn. We were still being told that 'low fat' was healthy (which Alice didn't care about) but I did. Bring on days of eating oats, brown bread and brown rice/pasta for dinner.
So, Lots of you ask; Is Genetics The Reason I Can't Lose Weight?
Let's look at my personal story, before we delve into the science.
2008 - Clinically Overweight
I was in my second year of university (whoop) and didn't have a clue what I should be doing. I was trying my best to eat healthily. I was eating oats for breakfast, a banana as a snack, a salad for lunch (with an apple...and a crunchy bar...because I'd had a salad), large bowls of curry/pasta/stir fry with shed loads of brown pasta and rice (because healthy whole grains were meant to 'fill me up').
I was always hungry.
I'd drink mochas because they were 'just a drink'. I'd mix vodka with orange juice, because orange juice was good for me - right?
How Did It Feel Trying To Be Healthy & Failing?
I'd started these 10 years feeling uncomfortable and pretty rubbish.
Want to know the stats?
Weight: 72kg (+ probably more and avoiding the scales)
Body Fat: 28% (Considered clinically overweight for my age)
What the stats don't tell you was the time spent trying to squeeze into clothes that wouldn't fit. Trying to buy clothes I liked and them just not fitting. Covering up bits I didn't like at all costs. Just feeling pretty rubbish to be honest.
Oh and there was a huge sinking, 'ground please swallow me up moment' - the moment I hopped on the scales with a guy mate at the gym. He was 6ft. We weighed the same as me. Hmmm. Bugger.
2018 - 12kg & 11% Body Fat Different
Living in Auckland, 10 years older and over 12 kgs lighter. What had changed? Well quite a lot actually. Had my genetics changed - urrrrmmmm nope. Had my environment changed? Absolutely.
Stats:
Weight: 60(ish)kg
Body Fat: 16-20% (Considered healthy by most - too lean by others)
What had changed? On top of studying obesity at University and knowing that our food environment played a part, I'd seriously educated myself on both fitness and nutrition.
Rather than trying to out run my diet (spoiler alert - it doesn't work) I'd started to walk more and lift weights. I started because I wanted my body to change. I kept doing it because I actually enjoyed it. But this is a distraction from what had really changed. I'd swapped my beige slop of 'healthy' oats, pasta, rice & bread for something different.
I was eating eggs, bacon for breakfast. I was eating big salads full of protein/poke bowls/bunless burgers (thank you Takapuna) for lunch. I was eating super simple, delicious dinners of meat/fish and colourful veggies. Was it arduous? No. What is restrictive? Absolutely not. Did I still drink far too much beer/wine and eat out? Absolutely.
I'd also made a significant cognitive change. 10 years ago I didn't like how I felt. I didn't feel like me. And I was a bit sick of it. I didn't want to feel unfit. I didn't want to feel overweight. I wanted to pick clothes because I liked them, not because they hid things. I remembered what this felt like and I knew there was no going back.
So, back to Genetics Versus our Environment
The most common consensus seems to be that our genetics account for around 50% of our make up. And our environment accounts for the rest.
Could I still be 12kg heavier, if I hadn't actively changed my environment? Absolutely.
Could I be even heavier? Based on a number of family members - Yep.
Do I believe what you put in your body has an effect on how you look, feel and perform? I think that's pretty undeniable, based on both personal experience, that of my clients and what the science is saying.
In clients I see it all the time. It is so important to ask about parents, siblings, friends and family. But what's important to recognise is the distinction between the cause. Is it genetics? Yep, they load the gun for sure. Is it the shared environment of big family dinners, shared environmental factors and what you've 'grown up with'? What's actually pulling the trigger on whole families all struggling with weight?
Epigenetics: A Growing Area Of Research
"Epigenetics is the study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work." Centre for Disease Control & Prevention
"Genetic predispositions have been demonstrated to have a substantial role in the unbalanced energy metabolism seen in obesity. However, these genetic variations cannot entirely explain the massive growth in obesity over the last few decades. Accumulating evidence suggests that modern lifestyle characteristics such as the intake of energy-dense foods, adopting sedentary behaviour, or exposure to environmental factors such as industrial endocrine disruptors all contribute to the rising obesity epidemic." National Library of Medicine
There is heaps more but I won't bore you with too much.
What Does The Science On Genetics Say?
"Genetics play a role in determining your weight. But that’s not the whole story. Environment, lifestyle and healthy choices still contribute a great deal to how much you weigh." Mayo Clinic
"Research suggests that for some people, genes account for just 25% of the predisposition to be overweight, while for others the genetic influence is as high as 70% to 80%."
"Genetic factors are the forces inside you that help you gain weight and stay overweight; environmental factors are the outside forces that contribute to these problems. They encompass anything in our environment that makes us more likely to eat too much or exercise too little. Taken together, experts think that environmental factors are the driving force for the causes of obesity and its dramatic rise." Harvard Study 2019
References:
Share this with someone who needs to hear it.
Or take two minutes to tell me your story if you're keen to make a change.
References:
"Genes, Environment, and the Obesity Epidemic" - This article discusses how both genetic predispositions and environmental factors like diet and physical activity are key contributors to the obesity epidemic. It emphasises that while genetics play a role, environmental modifications can significantly influence body weight.
Reference: Bray, G. A., & Champagne, C. M. (2005). Genes, environment, and the obesity epidemic. Obesity, 13(6), 1069-1075. DOI: 10.1038/oby.2005.125.
"The Role of Genotype in the Response to Changes in the Environment: Implications for Common Diseases" - This paper explores how genetic makeup can influence individual responses to environmental changes in diet or lifestyle, but it also underscores that environmental factors themselves are crucial drivers of obesity rates.
Reference: Ordovas, J. M., & Corella, D. (2004). Nutritional Genomics. Annu. Rev. Genom. Hum. Genet., 5, 71-118. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.genom.5.061903.175702.
"Nature and Nurture in Obesity: The Complex Interplay Between Genetic and Environmental Factors" - This review examines numerous studies, including those on twins, showing that while genetics provide a framework for obesity risk, environmental factors such as diet, physical activity, and socio-economic status are critical modulators.
Reference: Loos, R. J. F., & Bouchard, C. (2008). Nature and nurture in obesity. Futures of science and technology in society, 5(1), 11-22. DOI: 10.1007/s10236-007-0139-0.
"Twin Studies and the Influence of Genetic and Environmental Factors on Body Weight" - This study on twins reared apart and together demonstrates that while genetics have a significant influence on body weight, differences in body mass index (BMI) among individuals are largely attributed to environmental variations.
Reference: Silventoinen, K., et al. (2003). Heritability of adult body height: a comparative study of twin cohorts in eight countries. Twin Research, 6(5), 399-408. DOI: 10.1375/136905203770326402.
"Contribution of Genetic and Environmental Factors to Body Mass Index in a Population-based Sample of Adult Twins" - This twin study from a population-based sample emphasizes that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to variations in BMI, with the environment playing a significant role in adulthood.
Reference: Dubois, L., et al. (2002). Genetic and environmental contributions to weight, height, and BMI from birth to 19 years of age: An international study of over 12,000 twin pairs. PLoS One, 7(2), e30153. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030153.
If you want to get to the bottom of the key mistakes you're making, get in touch.
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