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On Skinny Genes

It is no secret that obesity in America is increasing at an alarming rate. Many blame genetic makeup. But can we blame our expanding national waistline on genes? Yes and no. Genes remain relatively stable over many generations, so our current genes are not significantly different from those of our grandparents. What is different is our environment, and researchers are now discovering new ways that our environment appears to unmask our obesity-related genes.

There are hundreds of genes directly or indirectly related to obesity. There are genes that control how we metabolize carbohydrates or fat, genes that signal (or don't) the sensation of being full, genes that control fat burning (or storage), and genes that control our response to exercise. Research suggests that our lifestyle, which includes eating high-fat, high-sugar processed foods and getting little regular exercise, can switch many of these genes on and off.

Two interesting examples of the interaction between genes and physical activity were presented at the 2007 Obesity Society Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans. The first study showed that a genetic variant of a gene known as the FTO increased obesity risk by increasing a person's sensitivity to inactivity. The researchers found that people who possessed two copies of the gene and were inactive were much more likely to be overweight than people who possessed different copies of the gene and were inactive. The inactivity in the first group essentially turned on their obesity-related gene.

In the second study, researchers identified a gene that appears to control how much a person enjoys exercise. People who possessed a specific variant of this gene felt better when they exercised than people who didn't have the genetic variant, thereby suggesting that the will to stick to an exercise program could be genetic.

The interaction between diet and genes is equally interesting. Researchers are beginning to explore the individual variability in the effect of various components of our diets on weight. Most of the research has been done in the field of carbohydrates and insulin resistance, which appears to have a strong genetic component. For example, research reveals that some people really do lose weight more effectively on a lower carbohydrate diet, particularly the dangerous fat that accumulates around the mid-section. By isolating the gene responsible for this difference, doctors and nutritionists could customize diet recommendations more effectively. Future research is looking into the varying dietary responses to all the nutrients, including fat, vitamins and minerals. This exciting new field, known as nutragenomics, seeks to develop targeted diet therapy based on genetic factors. The field is still in its infancy, but this sort of targeted diet therapy could provide exciting breakthroughs in obesity research.

What can you do while scientists figure out the significance of your genes? Spend a little time developing the right diet and exercise program for you. If your body seems to respond better to more exercise, build exercise into your life however and whenever you can. If you hate the gym, find ways of moving your body that don't seem like exercise. Take up an active hobby such as salsa dancing or volunteer at your local dog shelter walking dogs a few times a week. If you feel better and lose weight more easily with fewer carbohydrates, or less fat, find ways of permanently reducing them in your diet. Try to work with the genes you inherit so you can fit into the jeans you bought.

Dr. Melina B. Jampolis is a board-certified physician nutrition specialist. She is the host of Fit TV's "Diet Doctor" and author of "The No Time to Lose Diet" (Nelson Books, 2007). She is in private practice in San Francisco focusing on nutrition for weight loss and disease prevention.