2023-11-21 21:29:00
Researchers analyzed twins over 36 years whose BMI in young adulthood was below, within or above their genetically predicted BMI (Getty)
People may be resistant or susceptible to weight gain, and this may provide new insights into the determinants and consequences of obesity, according to a recent study published in the journal Obesity.
Although it is known that people who have a higher genetic risk of obesity generally have a higher body mass index (BMI), researchers revealed a new methodological approach to discover why some people are more susceptible to gaining weight than others for reasons unrelated to their genetic propensity for obesity.
As they saw over 36 years in a longitudinal study of Finnish twins with large BMI differences, one of them had acquired a BMI that deviated from his genetically reported BMI.
The study is the first of its kind, and according to first author Bram J. Berntzen, Ph.D., of the Finnish Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Helsinki, “this novel approach opens doors to discover protective factors and harmful factors that precede weight gain, offering valuable information regarding how people can maintain a healthy weight.”
According to the researchers, “it is vital to study the reasons for weight gain already during childhood, before they become young adults” (Getty)
Previous research has studied adult monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs with large differences in BMI within each twin pair, but these were cross-sectional studies that did not consider genetic predisposition to obesity.
Previous studies on pairs of twins with large BMI differences between pairs had also not established whether the twin with a higher or lower BMI is the one that deviates more from genetic predisposition.
Now, the authors of the present study investigated BMI trajectories over 36 years in twins whose BMI in young adulthood was below, within, or above their genetically predicted BMI. And they observed that the lower prediction means resilience once morest weight gain, while the higher prediction indicates susceptibility to weight gain before inclusion in the study.
When consulted by Infobae, the doctor who is a member of the obesity and bariatric surgery working groups of the Argentine Nutrition Society (SAN) and director of postgraduate studies at the Favaloro University Ana María Cappelletti (MN 76523), analyzed that the results of the work were because “genetics is not destiny.”
The research identifies the existence of protective factors once morest increasing BMI not associated with genetics (Getty)
“Genetics, which in the case of obesity does not depend on a single gene in the vast majority of people, can be responsible for up to 70% of weight and other parameters such as body composition and the distribution of fat mass in adults,” he said.
And following ensuring that “other determining factors of body weight are related to lifestyle – not only diet and exercise but also sleep and stress – and furthermore, to work and socioeconomic conditions,” the expert pointed out that “this environment can be different throughout the lives of adult twins.”
Experts agree that there are other determining factors of body weight beyond genetics (Getty)
Likewise, he highlighted that “personal relationships beyond the family of origin are also important, as demonstrated by an article published in the NEJM in 2007, which showed in a large cohort of people followed for 32 years that the odds of being obese increased if a spouse or friend was also obese.”
Berntzen noted that the twins’ BMI as young adults played an important role in reaching a healthy body weight following 36 years, since they all generally gained weight as they aged. And he concluded: “For this reason, it is vital to study the reasons for weight gain already during childhood, before they become young adults.”
In the researchers’ opinion, future studies can examine children’s characteristics over time, calculating their genetically informed BMI as they reach adulthood to understand the factors that affect their weight gain trajectories.
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