THE IMPACT OUR GENES HAVE IN LOSING WEIGHT

Are people overweight because they lack the will-power to go through an effective workout at the gym? Do some people have a much harder struggle while trying to lose wieght because of the information encoded in their genes? To answer these questions we explore, "The Truth about Genetics and Weight Loss," by Caroline J. Cederquist.
For starters, it is important to take into account the myriad of other features such as height and eye-color that is already controlled by genes. Moreover, according to Cederquist, "researchers have identified specific combinations of genes that appear to correlate very strongly with fat retention even in spite of, exercise."
In a study, a group involving post-menopausal females were divided into a control and excercise-intervention group. In this particular group, the women were asked to workout for five days a week for forty-five minutes, and eat whatever they usually ate. At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that the fat-loss of severalindividuals were not backed up by the amount of time that they spent in the gym compared to other individuals.
After examining the genetic data of the individuals, researchers found two genes, CYP19 and COMT that stood-out.The researchers found that even one CYP19 gene along with its variants did not associate with abdominal fat, but having two did correlate to a higher decrease in the BMI (Body Mass Index) of the individual.Also, atleast one of these CYP19 genes along with a certain strain of COMT correlated to an even larger decrease in BMI.
However, the researchers also found out that while those with this particular CYP19 combination lost more fat in shorter time periods, they also gained more fat in shorter amounts of time. The detailed mechanisms of theseprocesses are not fully understood for there to be made any other conclusions.
So whats the bottom line? Calorie input= Calorie output, you are what you eat... are explanations that do not take into accountthe detailed aspects of human genetics. People simply need to be able to learn about how they react to certain foodsand excercise, and adapt their behaviors to that knowledge. In the end, it is harder for some people to lose weight,but that does not mean that they can't make it atleast just a little easier on themselves.

News Article Website:
http://newsblaze.com/story/20051207150658nnnn.nb/topstory.html

Research Article: http://biblioteca.sp.san.gva.es/biblioteca/publicaciones/MATERIAL/METABUSQUEDAS/MUJER/15229337.PDF