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Dieting for obesity is not an obstacle to weight loss
Lent has begun. Many use the weeks before Easter to eat healthier and lose a few winter pounds. It is often thought that people with a predisposition to obesity can be more difficult to lose weight. According to a US study, the opposite is the case: sufferers even benefit in particular from a change in diet.
Weight loss despite predisposition possible (Image: underdogstudios / fotolia.com) Tulane University researchers in New Orleans had evaluated two long-term studies involving more than 14,000 participants. Using blood samples, they determined the number of risk variants. Over a period of two decades, dietary habits and body mass index (BMI) were recorded every four years. The BMI is the ratio of weight (in kg) to height (in m squared) and is a measure of body weight.
Many factors play a role in the development of obesity. In addition to environmental influences, there are certain genes that increase the risk of weight gain. The evaluation of the data has shown that a genetic bias is no obstacle to a change in diet. The more risk genes the subjects had, the higher was the weight loss due to the altered diet. A diet high in fruits and vegetables, nuts and whole grains, but low in salt and sugary drinks had a positive effect.
Apparently, a healthier diet can not only compensate for the genetic disposition for obesity, but is even particularly beneficial for those affected. So far, it is not known what biological mechanisms could be behind this phenomenon. The scientists point out that pure observational studies can not prove causal relationships. It would also be possible that certain lifestyle factors such as sports activities were responsible for successful weight loss. It could also be that people who have been overweight all their lives are more consistent with a change in diet. These questions are to be clarified in further research, can be read in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). Heike Kreutz, www.bzfe.de