What you can learn: In this article you will learn how to be successful in losing weight and maintaining the right weight based on knowledge about your DNA. You will learn how your genetic make-up affects the feeling of satiety or the yo-yo effect and how your body reacts to different types of fats and carbohydrates. You will also learn that, based on the results of the genetic analysis, we can precisely determine the type of food/diet that best suits your genetic make-up.

The balance between caloric intake and utilization, physical activity and rest, along with genetic background, is key to achieving optimal body weight and well-being. It is generally not recommended to eat more calories than you actually burn. In addition to the controlled intake, the choice of foods is also fundamentally important, because some of them can cause even more damage, while other foods can improve your condition. The fact that nutrition based on genetic analysis is really effective has been proven by scientific research conducted at Stanford University. The study found that people who ate according to their genetic make-up lost 4 kg more than those who tried to lose weight against their genetic make-up.

Am I the right weight? Calculate it

Did you know? Scientists have found that our genetic makeup determines up to 60 percent of our final body weight, and the rest depends on other life factors and the environment that surrounds us.

Being overweight is caused by an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, lack of physical activity, improper diet and genetic predispositions. If you are not sure whether you are really overweight, you can easily calculate it. We express the appropriateness of body weight using the body mass index (BMI). It is calculated by dividing the body weight of a specific person in kilograms by the square of that person's height in meters. The optimal BMI of an individual is in the range between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2. People with this BMI have a healthy body weight. A BMI lower than 18.5 kg/m2 is an indicator of malnutrition, and obesity is defined by a BMI higher than 30 kg/m2. This definition of obesity is not suitable for two groups of people. In the first group are people with large muscle mass, which causes their BMI to be higher than 30 kg/m2. And in the second group are elderly people who may have a BMI lower than 30 kg/m2 due to the rapid loss of muscle mass, which is replaced by adipose tissue, but it is still overweight.

Perfect diet - diet according to DNA

It is much easier to find out what is unhealthy for all of us than to answer the question of what kind of diet is best for a particular individual. The reason is our genetic make-up, which determines the suitability of a specific diet plan for our body. That's why one type of diet can be very successful for one person, but it doesn't work for someone else, or it can even have negative effects. The diet we will recommend to you is not chosen randomly, but is based on your genetic make-up, takes into account your personal characteristics and allows you to eat what your body really needs.

Based on the favorable or unfavorable reaction of the analyzed genes, we can determine the percentage of daily intake of calories in the form of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, carbohydrates and proteins. In the results, you can easily deduce the optimal intake of calories to maintain or reduce body weight according to your age and how physically active you are. You will look at losing weight and maintaining the right weight in a completely new way, tailored just for you in the form of a personal diet program with menus and recipes according to your DNA.

COOK4FIT personal nutrition program based on DNA results

Response to carbohydrates

Did you know? Apples, oranges and apricots consumed after a meal can cause discomfort. They contain pectin, which binds water and swells. Some people may experience bloating or belching.

Carbohydrates are the most basic source of energy needed for the physical activity of our body. Because of their taste, we also call them sugar. Different dietary approaches take a very different stance on them: Some dietary approaches are based on carbohydrates, while others recommend limiting them. Others recommend that we consume them separately from proteins and fats. It goes without saying that these dietary approaches are not successful for all people because they do not address their genetic makeup. However, we proceeded in exactly this way. We analyzed the genes FTO and KCTD10, which determine the effect of carbohydrates on your body. People with the risk variant of the FTO gene have been found to be 3 times more likely to be overweight than people who carry the two common variants of the FTO gene when they do not consume enough carbohydrates. By adjusting their carbohydrate intake, they can significantly reduce this risk. On the other hand, the KCTD10 gene determines the relationship between the intake of carbohydrates and the level of "good" HDL cholesterol, and with an inappropriate intake of carbohydrates combined with a risk variant of the mentioned gene, the level of HDL cholesterol can decrease rapidly.

Analyzed genes: TFO, KCTD10

Response to saturated fat

Did you know? Saturated fats affect the distribution of calcium in the body, so it is not surprising that they are also present in breast milk. They are very important for our body, but the problem is their large content in products of animal origin, which can very quickly cause an excess of them in our organism.

Saturated fats are mainly found in foods of animal origin. Our body uses them as a source of energy, but depending on the genetic make-up, they also have the unfavorable ability to increase the risk of oncological diseases. Based on a 20-year study, scientists have discovered a gene that causes some people to gain weight faster than others due to the influence of saturated fat. They discovered that saturated fat has even more negative effects on people who carry an unfavorable variant of the APOA2 gene. In case of excessive consumption of saturated fats, compared to carriers of the normal variant of this gene, the risk of becoming overweight is twice as high. Despite this fact, people with a risk variant of the APOA2 gene need not worry: reducing their intake of saturated fat can reduce their BMI (body mass index) by 4 kg/m2. This difference was found by comparing people with an unfavorable variant of the gene who consumed a normal amount of saturated fat with those who sufficiently limited their intake of saturated fat.

Analyzed genes: APOA2

Reaction to monounsaturated fats

Did you know? Of the monounsaturated fats, oleic acid is extremely beneficial for our health (a larger amount is found in olive oil). Olive oil also contains many antioxidants and its use can also protect you from cardiovascular diseases.

Monounsaturated fats, like saturated fats, are non-essential – they are not necessary for survival because our bodies can make them on their own. However, they are very beneficial for our body because they visibly increase the level of "good" HDL cholesterol and at the same time reduce the level of triglycerides and LDL, i.e. "bad" cholesterol. In addition, they have been proven to reduce the risk of becoming overweight. Their increased consumption can therefore be very beneficial, especially in the case when we are carriers of a certain gene variant. It has been found that people with a favorable variant of the ADIPOQ gene can effectively reduce their body weight by consuming enough of this type of fat. Sufficient intake of monounsaturated fats allowed carriers of a favorable variant of the ADIPOQ gene to reduce their BMI by approximately 1.5 kg/m2. If you are a carrier of a favorable variant of the ADIPOQ gene, a slightly higher intake of monounsaturated fats is recommended for you, as this will have a beneficial effect on your body weight.

Analyzed genes: ADIPOQ

Reaction to polyunsaturated fats

Did you know? Did you know that despite a typical high-fat diet, we often suffer from a lack of fat? We lack polyunsaturated fats, which are essential for the proper functioning of our cells. A simple way to eliminate this deficiency is to consume mustard oil, which has a high content of polyunsaturated fats.

Unlike saturated and monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats are essential for our body - our body absolutely needs to get them from food, because it is not able to produce them on its own. They are vital for a healthy heart and brain function, as well as for our growth and development. The most important groups are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which should be represented in our diet in a ratio of 1:5, but in the current population, the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids is increasing, which is not very healthy. Although polyunsaturated fats are very beneficial for our body, they have an even more positive effect on some people. The research study on which our analysis is based found that a particular variant of the PPAR-alpha gene may determine the relationship between polyunsaturated fats and blood triglyceride levels. It has been proven that people with a risk variant of the gene and with an inappropriate intake of polyunsaturated fats have a 20 percent higher level of triglycerides compared to other people. And this can have an adverse effect on your health. A high intake of polyunsaturated fats completely offset these differences, and for this reason it is therefore very important for people with the at-risk gene variant to adjust their diet accordingly and increase their intake of polyunsaturated fats.

Analyzed genes: PPAR-alpha

Weight gain again - yo-yo effect

Weight loss followed by weight gain can be an endless cycle. Statistics show that approximately 80 % people who have reduced their body weight gain the lost pounds back within the next year. There are two main reasons why this happens: 1) People choose strict short-term diets that cannot be done long-term; 2) most people lose motivation to maintain their dieting habits after reaching their goals. However, there is another reason; the tendency to regain body weight also has a genetic background. The ADIPOQ gene has various functions, including its influence on successful weight loss. Studies have shown that people with at least one rare copy of the ADIPOQ gene are likely to prevent so-called yo-yo effect after weight loss more successfully. About 20 % people worldwide have this genetic make-up. Conversely, approximately 80% of the % population has the common G/G genotype and must expend more effort to maintain body weight after weight loss.

What you could learn: If you will know how your body reacts to carbohydrates, fats and how you tend to gain weight again after losing weight, together with a personal diet guide, you will have in your hands an exact guide on how to reach a suitable weight. The diet we will recommend to you is not chosen randomly, but is based on your genetic make-up, takes into account your personal characteristics and allows you to eat what your body really needs.

You will find out more from your DNA analysis

Using the results of genetic analysis and a personal diet program COOK4FIT We will provide you with a lot of personalized advice, recommendations, instructions, menus, recipes. COOK4fit is a full-fledged personal nutrition program based on your genetic results in the form of a more than 200-page e-book. In the Menus section, you will find a 28-day meal plan, tailored to your personal needs. The full menu for each day is unique with many ideas for dishes and their combinations. In the Recipes section you will find 60 lunch recipes that will make it easier for you to follow our recommendations. You will look at losing weight and maintaining the right weight in a completely new way, tailored just for you.

Related analyzes from the BODY4FIT+ analysis:

A number of analyzes related to the issue of appropriate body weight are included in the BODY4fit+ analysis:  

Weight regain, Risk of overweight, Saturated fat response, Monounsaturated fat response, Polyunsaturated fat response, Carbohydrate response, Diet type, Sweets intake, Satiety and hunger, Sweet taste perception, Sleep cycle, LDL and HDL cholesterol, Omega3 metabolism , Triglycerides, Blood Sugar, Insulin Sensitivity, Adiponectin and more

References used:

Goyenechea et al. (2009). The – 11391 G/A polymorphism of the adiponectin gene promoter is associated with metabolic syndrome traits and the outcome of an energy-restricted diet in obese subjects. Horm Metab Res 41(1): 55-61

Corella et al. (2009). APOA2, dietary fat, and body mass index: replication of a gene-diet interaction in 3 independent populations. Arch Intern Med 169(20): 1897-1906 • Smith et al. (2013). Apolipoprotein A2 polymorphism interacts with intakes of dairy foods to influence body weight in 2 US populations. J Nutr. 143(12):1865-1871

Warodomwichit et al. (2009). ADIPOQ polymorphisms, monounsaturated fatty acids, and obesity risk: the GOLDN study. Obesity 17(3): 510-517

Warodomwichit et al. (2009). The monounsaturated fatty acid intake modulates the effect of ADIPOQ polymorphisms on obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring) 17(3): 510-517

Contreras et al. (2013). PPAR-α as a Key Nutritional and Environmental Sensor for Metabolic Adaptation. Adv Nutr. 4(4): 439–452.

Rudkowska et al. (2014). Genome-wide association study of the plasma triglyceride response to an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation. J Lipid Res. 55(7): 1245–1253.

Tai et al. (2005). Polyunsaturated fatty acids interact with the PPARA-L162V polymorphism to affect plasma triglyceride and apolipoprotein C-III concentrations in the Framingham Heart Study. J Nutr 135(3): 397-403

Junyent et al. (2009). Novel variants at KCTD10, MVK, and MMAB genes interact with dietary carbohydrates to modulate HDL-cholesterol concentrations in the Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network Study. Am J Clin Nutr, 90(3): 686-694

Sonestedt et al. (2009). Fat and carbohydrate intake modify the association between genetic variation in the FTO genotype and obesity. Am J Clin Nutr 90(5): 1418-1425