Genes can tilt you towards obesity, but you can tackle it by exercising regularly

According to research, though genes can cause obesity one can keep it at bay by doing some physical activity and following a healthy diet.

By: Aishwarya Vaidya | | Updated: August 10, 2018 9:27 am

These are the risk factors of being obese. © Shutterstock

Today, many people follow faulty eating habits and sedentary lifestyle which puts them at the risk of obesity. Eating foods high in trans fats, consuming more amount of calories and lack of physical activity can lead to obesity. You will have to make healthy lifestyle modifications to get rid of it.

Genetics, food addiction, side effects of certain medications can cause obesity. The worldwide prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and 2016. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated, “In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults aged 18 years and older were overweight. Of these over 650 million adults were obese. In 2016, 39% of adults aged 18 years and over (39% of men and 40% of women) were overweight. Obesity is becoming a growing matter of concern.” 10 horrible things junk food does to your body

According to a study conducted in 2014 study, Hu and his team found that people with genetic predisposition to obesity were likely to become fat if they consumed fried foods than those people with same genetic characteristics who rarely fatty foods. So, don’t regard yourself as doomed if you are genetically susceptible to obesity. Which is healthier, restaurant food or junk food?

In the year 2011, the researchers examined the data from numerous studies involving more than 200,000 people to examine the effects of exercise on those with an FTO gene variant. It was found that active adults who had the gene variant and who were physically active showed a lower risk of obesity than those adults who were inactive. The impact of genetics was reduced due to regular exercising. Therefore, being physically active like yoga is essential to fight obesity and maintain a healthy weight. Moreover, it can also help you to strengthen your immunity and improve your overall well-being. So, if you are on the heavier side just start exercising and refrain from eating junk food. World Obesity Day: Does belly fat cause osteoporosis in women?

According to a study Genetics of Obesity: What have we Learned? Conducted in the Journal of Current Genomics stated that, “There is also growing evidence that dietary habits interact with genes to modulate predisposition to obesity. Three studies suggest that a high fat diet can amplify the effect of the FTO genotype on obesity risk. There is growing evidence that genetic factors not only predispose to weight gain and development of obesity, but also modulate the response to therapeutic intervention in terms of weight loss.”

According to researchers, there has to be done more to see if there is any variant which can protect obesity. The interplay between genes and the environment will also be examined. According to HU, overall genes may have weak effects but in certain groups of people who are exposed to certain environments, the effects could be stronger. Experts are also looking at whether compulsive eating behaviour can be affected by the gene.

Reference: Choquet, H., & Meyre, D. (2011). Genetics of Obesity: What have we Learned? Current Genomics, 12(3), 169–179. http://doi.org/10.2174/138920211795677895

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Published : August 9, 2018 5:11 pm | Updated:August 10, 2018 9:27 am

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