New study suggests that people with a genetic predisposition to obesity can reduce the risk by exercising regularly.
An international group of researchers revealed the connection after focusing on a cross analysis of studies involving more than 218,000 subjects from a total of 45 trials. Their results showed that the FTO “gene”, essentially fat mass and obesity associated gene, had 27% less of an impact on overall weight and obesity possibility when compared between adults who conducted physical exercise and those who were inactive.
Obesity is a problem which is increasing globally and the condition poses an increased risk of several other potentially life-threatening health problems such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain cancers. However, the researchers hope these results indicate that any form of physical activity can be a positive contributing factor in the fight against obesity.
“I think it is important to highlight that you don’t have to run a marathon or necessarily join the gym,” said Ruth Loos, author of the study and group leader at Genetic Aetiology of Obesity Programme at Addenbrooke. “[About] one hour [of activity] a day, five days a week, will have the effect we saw in our study.”
Loos did however also note a previous study where participants were made aware of their genetic testing in terms of having the FTO gene, and in those people showed an increase of dietary fat which is believed to be a result of feeling powerless more than anything else.
She is determined to quell this feeling of hopelessness with not only this study, but further ones, highlighting the benefits of physical activity. “We hope that studies like ours convince people that even when genetically susceptible, a healthy lifestyle will help in the prevention of weight gain,” she said.