DNA could be preventing you from shedding pounds: Study
Add genetic makeup to the reasons you can't lose weight.
New research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Ben Gurion University in Israel revealed that one-third of people who followed a healthy diet didn't lose any weight, although they did experience health benefits.
The study's participants exhibited 'significant improvements' in cardio-metabolic markers, such as cholesterol, lower levels of hunger hormone leptin and less visceral fat, which is found 'deep inside' the abdominal cavity, according to a news release, per the New York Post.
The research findings were published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology. The study analyzed changes in weight and health for 761 individuals in Israel who had abdominal obesity.
During three trials, participants were assigned to specific healthy diets, including low-fat, low-carb, Mediterranean and green-Mediterranean diets, for 18 to 24 months.
Across all the clinical trials, 36% of participants achieved 'clinically significant' weight loss, while 36% achieved moderate weight loss. Meanwhile, 28% lost no weight or even gained weight.
Those who were resistant to weight loss, mostly older individuals and women, showed the same health improvements as the participants who lost weight.
'We have been conditioned to equate weight loss with health, and weight-loss-resistant individuals are often labeled as failures,' lead study author Anat Yaskolka Meir, postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard Chan School, wrote in a statement.
The study, which was funded by the German Research Foundation, did have some limitations.
Most participants were men, researchers said, adding that similar studies should focus on women in the future.
Dr. Philip Rabito, an endocrinologist and weight-loss specialist in New York City, told Fox News Digital in an interview that the study findings support what he's experienced in his own practice.
'There are likely genetic factors that affect an individual's ability to lose weight,' said Rabito, who wasn't involved in the study. 'Simply stated, despite similar efforts, caloric restriction and lifestyle interventions, some patients lose more weight than others.'
Some individuals will not respond 'as robustly' to interventions like others, although this can be overcome with correct guidance, Rabito said.
'With proper counselling, dedication and adherence to a lifestyle program, all patients should be able to appreciate weight loss,' he said.
'Even if there is minimal or no weight loss, the study shows that there are still improvements in health parameters just from participating in a weight-loss program.'
For those who don't lose weight with traditional weight-loss programs, prescription medications may be an option, he added.
Manoel Galvao Neto, M.D., director of bariatric research at Orlando Health Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Institute, agreed that DNA can influence weight loss.
'It is a true combination of genetic factors, and it affects the metabolism, appetite, fat storage and response to diet and exercise,' he said in a separate interview with Fox News Digital.
Based on emerging research, Neto said that obesity treatment can be more easily personalized, allowing those with genetic setbacks to achieve their fitness goals.
'If you have the marker for 'hungry brain,' and you take the GLP-1, you maximize your weight loss by up to 20%,' the doctor said.
'Obesity is a disease that is chronic, it is progressive, and so far, we don't have a cure, but we are getting more and more information to help control it in a personalized way.'
Women 45 and older could have better weight-loss success: Study
Carbonated water could be beneficial to weight-loss efforts: Study
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
GPs can prescribe weight loss jabs on the NHS from today - but strict eligibility criteria in place
GPs will be able to prescribe weight loss jabs on the NHS from today. About 220,000 people with the "greatest need" are set to receive Mounjaro - with strict criteria for the first year of the rollout. Initially, only those with a body mass index of over 40 who have at least four other health problems linked to obesity will be eligible. Some doctors have raised concerns about the additional workload this new programme will bring, while pharmacists fear it could lead to supply shortages. While an estimated 1.5 million people are now taking weight loss drugs across the UK, they could previously only be accessed through specialist services or private prescriptions. Dr Claire Fuller from NHS England said: "We urgently need to address rising levels of obesity and prioritise support for those who are experiencing severe ill health - and greater access to weight loss drugs will make a significant difference to the lives of those people." She added: "While not everyone will be eligible for weight loss drugs, it's important that anyone who is worried about the impact of their weight on their health discusses the range of NHS support available with their healthcare professional." The chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs welcomed NHS England's decision to pursue a phased rollout, and said current workloads must be factored in to ensure the jabs can be prescribed safely. Professor Kamila Hawthorne went on to say: "While weight loss medications have a lot of potential benefits for patients who are struggling to lose weight and who meet all the clinical criteria for a prescription, they mustn't be seen as a 'silver bullet' to aid weight loss. "We also need to see a focus on prevention, stopping people becoming overweight in the first place so they don't require a medical intervention later." Read more from Sky News:UK and NATO allies to boost defence spending Her remarks were echoed by the National Pharmacy Association's chairman Olivier Picard, who says "prescribing these medications alone misses the point". He argued that they need to be part of a comprehensive strategy that includes lifestyle coaching, exercise and nutritional guidance - but many GPs currently "lack the bandwidth" to provide this support. "As a result, we could end up in a situation where patients are prescribed the medication, lose weight, and then experience rebound weight gain once the course ends - simply because the foundational lifestyle changes weren't addressed," Mr Picard added. Estimates suggest about 29% of the adult population is obese. Health Secretary Wes Streeting says the government "is determined to bring revolutionary modern treatments to everyone who needs them, not just those who can afford to pay".
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
A Cracked Piece of Metal Self-Healed in Experiment That Stunned Scientists
File this under 'That's not supposed to happen!'. In an experiment published in 2023, scientists observed a damaged section of metal healing itself. Though the repair was only on a nanoscale level, understanding the physics behind the process could inspire a whole new era of engineering. A team from Sandia National Laboratories and Texas A&M University was testing the resilience of a small piece of platinum suspended in a vacuum using a specialized transmission electron microscope technique to pull the ends of the metal 200 times every second. They then observed the self-healing at ultra-small scales in the 40-nanometer-thick wafer of metal. Cracks caused by the kind of strain described above are known as fatigue damage: repeated stress and motion that causes microscopic breaks, eventually causing machines or structures to break. Amazingly, after about 40 minutes of observation, the crack in the platinum started to fuse back together and mend itself before starting again in a different direction. "This was absolutely stunning to watch first-hand," said materials scientist Brad Boyce from Sandia National Laboratories when the results were announced. "We certainly weren't looking for it. What we have confirmed is that metals have their own intrinsic, natural ability to heal themselves, at least in the case of fatigue damage at the nanoscale." These are exact conditions, and we don't know yet exactly how this is happening or how we can use it. However, if you think about the costs and effort required for repairing everything from bridges to engines to phones, there's no telling how much difference self-healing metals could make. While the observation is unprecedented, it's not wholly unexpected. In 2013, Texas A&M University materials scientist Michael Demkowicz worked on a study predicting that this kind of nanocrack healing could happen, driven by the tiny crystalline grains inside metals essentially shifting their boundaries in response to stress. Demkowicz also worked on this study, using updated computer models to show that his decade-old theories about metal's self-healing behavior at the nanoscale matched what was happening here. That the automatic mending process happened at room temperature is another promising aspect of the research. Metal usually requires lots of heat to shift its form, but the experiment was carried out in a vacuum; it remains to be seen whether the same process will happen in conventional metals in a typical environment. A possible explanation involves a process known as cold welding, which occurs under ambient temperatures whenever metal surfaces come close enough together for their respective atoms to tangle together. Typically, thin layers of air or contaminants interfere with the process; in environments like the vacuum of space, pure metals can be forced close enough together to literally stick. "My hope is that this finding will encourage materials researchers to consider that, under the right circumstances, materials can do things we never expected," said Demkowicz. The research was published in Nature. An earlier version of this article was published in July 2023. A Fifth Force of Nature May Have Been Discovered Inside Atoms Strange Radio Signals Detected Emanating From Deep Under Antarctic Ice Light Squeezed Out of Darkness in Surprising Quantum Simulation
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
The 4 States With the Most Psychopaths Might Surprise You
If you've ever suspected that where you live might be shaping your personality, science is now backing you up — in a way that's both fascinating and deeply unsettling. According to a massive new study led by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, certain places in the U.S. are more likely to produce people with what psychologists call "dark" personality traits. Four states top the list. The study analyzed data from more than 2 million people across 183 countries and all 50 U.S. states. Researchers looked at dark traits like psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism, and compared them with what they called "adverse societal conditions" — things like poverty, inequality, corruption, and violence. The findings were clear: people living in harsher environments tend to score higher on the so-called "Dark Factor." So which U.S. states stood out? Nevada, New York, South Dakota, and Texas topped the rankings for the highest levels of these traits. The researchers relied on crime rates, poverty stats, and corruption convictions to draw their conclusions. The results were consistent. People living in places with more societal dysfunction are more likely to show signs of selfishness, aggression, and a willingness to exploit others. Lead researcher Ingo Zettler explained that the study doesn't mean people in those states are doomed to be bad actors. However, it does suggest that our surroundings shape us more than we might think. "Even small variations can lead to large differences in how societies function," he said. On the flip side, the states with the lowest levels of dark traits were Vermont, Utah, Maine, and Oregon. These areas tend to be more economically balanced and socially stable, creating environments that, according to the study, are less likely to foster toxic behavior. The takeaway? Dark personality traits aren't just something we're born with. They're also a product of the world we live in. While the data can't predict individual behavior, it paints a sobering picture of how deep the connection between society and psychology really 4 States With the Most Psychopaths Might Surprise You first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 18, 2025
