A new study published on March 27 in the journal JAMA Network Open determines that those struggling with obesity genes will have to exercise more to have equivalent results as those who don’t have obesity genes. Head below to learn more.
Researchers have found that folks with a higher risk of obesity will need to exercise more in order to avoid becoming unhealthily heavy.
We know that our genetic makeup contributes to how much physical activity is needed to regulate obesity, and it’s also important to note that the current physical activity guidelines may not apply for those with obesity genes when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, according to Douglas Ruderfer, author of the study and director of the Center for Digital Genomic Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennesse.
Researchers kept track of more than 3,124 middle-aged adults who were not obese and who walked about 8,300 steps a day for more than five years total. For those with the highest genetic risk scores for obesity, it increased by 43%, while it only increased 13% among participants with the lowest risk.
Dr. Evan Brittain, associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at Vanderbilt and author of the study:
I think it is intuitive that individuals who have a higher genetic risk of obesity might need to have more physical activity to reduce that risk, but what is new and important from this study is that we were able to put a number on the amount of activity needed to reduce the risk.
So what exactly are the numbers Dr. Brittin is referring to?
The study found that people with the highest genetic risk for obesity needed to walk an average of 2,280 more steps in a day than those with an average risk of gaining weight. Moreover, those with high genetic risk and a BMI between 22 and 28 need to walk 3,460 to 6,350 additional steps in a day to have a risk that was comparable to those who don’t have a genetic predisposition to obesity (via U.S. News and World Report).
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