Sometimes it seems like certain people can lose weight easily, while the rest of us struggle.
And you can really blame your genes – or lack thereof – if you’re struggling to shed the pounds, a new study shows.
Experts have discovered that the secret to losing weight is all down to a combination of 14 ‘skinny genes’.
Researchers from the University of Essex found that running for half an hour three times a week helped people lose twice as much weight.
The study followed 38 people in Britain, all between 20 and 40 years old, who underwent a DNA test.
Experts have discovered that the secret to losing weight is all down to a combination of 14 ‘skinny genes’. Stock image
They were instructed to follow their normal diet and lifestyle habits, not to engage in any other exercise, and were weighed before and after the study.
The team – led by Dr Henry Chung, from the School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences – found that those with more genes lost the most weight in eight weeks.
People with the most genetic markers lost up to 5 kg (11 lbs) during the study and those without them lost an average of 2 kg (4.4 lbs).
The most important turned out to be the PPARGC1A gene that codes for PGC-1-a – a protein that helps regulate metabolism.
This gene was responsible for almost two-thirds of the weight lost and was present in participants who lost the most weight, the researchers said.
Despite the results, Dr Chung said lifestyle factors and diet are still essential for weight loss.
“This study has highlighted some important genes linked to the inches lost in jeans, but it’s important to remember that the genes won’t do anything without exercise and lifestyle changes because they are all linked,” he said .
‘Without intervention they will not show their true potential and then it does not matter which genes you have.
The study followed 38 people in Britain, all between 20 and 40 years old, who underwent a DNA test. Stock image
‘Exercise without weight loss has so many benefits – ranging from mental health to cardiovascular fitness – so I would encourage everyone to keep exercising, even if they can’t see the difference on the scale.’
The article, published in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, builds on Dr. Chung’s previous research, which found that running performance was also linked to genetics.
He hopes that the research will enable governments, companies and individuals to better tailor health interventions.
“If we can better understand a person’s specific genetic profile, this will hopefully translate into better and more successful interventions to improve health outcomes,” he added.
The study reads: ‘This study found that an individual’s change in body mass in response to exercise is largely determined by their specific genetic profile.
‘As obesity is a growing challenge to society, a comprehensive understanding of how genes and their alleles influence the body’s responses to exercise would revolutionize the individualization and effectiveness of exercise programs.’
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A previous study found that some people who tend to gain weight can also blame their genes.
Researchers discovered that a mutation in a single gene can cause children to weigh an extra 17kg by the time they are 18.
And there could be as many as 200,000 people in Britain carrying extra fat as a result of this genetic quirk, they said.
About twenty years ago, scientists discovered that a particular gene – melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) – makes a protein that sends signals to appetite sensors in the brain, indicating how much fat we have stored.
When this gene malfunctions, our brain thinks we have less fat reserves than we do, signaling that we are hungry and need to eat.
The University of Bristol research team found that around one in 340 people may carry a disruptive mutation in MC4R, meaning they are likely to gain weight from a young age.
These results were found by studying the MC4R gene in a random sample of 6,000 participants born in Bristol in 1990-91.