Think your DNA is to blame for those pesky extra pounds? A recent meta-analysis says not so fast. British researchers found that your genes, including the oft-blamed FTO genotype, may not have quite as much of an impact on weight and fat loss as once thought.
“Using data from eight well-designed trials (including nore than 9,000 individuals), we found that the FTO variant did not affect how much weight overweight and obese people lost in weight-loss trials,” explains study author John C. Mathers, director of the Human Nutrition Research Center at Newcastle University in the U.K. In fact, those who carried FTO responded equally well in terms of weight loss, whether through dietary, physical activity, or drug-based interventions. Bottom line when it comes to long-term weight loss: “There is no substitute for choosing healthier diets, eating less overall, and being more physically active,” says Mathers.
