Do You Have Obesity Risk Genes? This Diet Plan Could Help You Improve Your BMI by up to 50%, According to New Study
People with obesity-risk genes feel hungry and lose control over how much they eat, but this can be fixed as suggested by a new study.
The International Journal of Epidemiology recently published a study from the University of Exeter, Exeter Clinical Research Facility, and the University of Bristol that was funded by the Medical Research Council Doctoral Training Partnership.
The study found that people with a higher genetic risk of obesity can cut the effects of hunger and uncontrolled eating by up to half by practicing dietary restraint.
In a world where high-calorie foods are aggressively marketed, understanding the genetic influence on BMI becomes crucial.
Previous studies have indicated that obesity-related genes affect behaviors such as hunger and emotional eating, but this study uniquely explored the impact of two types of dietary restraint—rigid and flexible—on these behaviors.
The findings highlight that increasing both forms of restraint could potentially improve BMI in individuals genetically prone to obesity, making restraint-based interventions a promising solution, according to Shahina Begum, lead author and Psychology Ph.D. student at the University of Exeter.
Genes associated with obesity have a direct impact on BMI, with a quarter of this effect being attributed to heightened feelings of hunger and loss of control around food, including emotional eating.
Over 900 genes have been identified by researchers so far as having a correlation with BMI, and several studies suggest that these risk genes influence appetite and eating patterns.
The study included 3,780 adults aged between 22 and 92 years from two UK cohorts: the Genetics of Appetite Study and the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Participants’ weight and height were measured, and their DNA was obtained through blood samples to calculate a comprehensive genetic risk score for obesity.
The participants then completed questionnaires assessing 13 different eating behaviors, including disinhibition (binge or emotional eating) and overeating due to hunger.
As expected, the researchers discovered that individuals with higher genetic risk scores had elevated BMIs, partly attributed to increased disinhibition and hunger.
However, intriguingly, the study also revealed that those who practiced high levels of dietary restraint managed to reduce the effects of genetic risk by nearly half for disinhibition and one-third for hunger, suggesting that restraint could counteract some of the genetic influences.
Dietary restraint comes in different forms, including flexible strategies like mindful eating and smaller portion sizes, as well as rigid approaches such as calorie counting. This study, for the first time, examined the impact of both types of restraint and found that they could potentially improve BMI in individuals with a genetic predisposition to obesity.
Interventions promoting dietary restraint could involve modifying the food environment by reducing calorie content or portion sizes. Additionally, the research team has developed a Food Trainer app that functions as a game, training individuals to resist high-calorie foods.
Preliminary research suggests that this training may be particularly beneficial for individuals with higher BMIs.
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