Author Archives: Marisa Wexler MS

The genetic factors influencing weight do not remain the same throughout a person’s life, according to a large genome-wide analysis of early growth traits. In babies, the set of genetic variants determining body mass index (BMI, a measure of body fat) plays no part in adult obesity. But interestingly,…

A genetic predisposition towards obesity can increase stress in early life, which may make people more likely to develop depression in adulthood, a new study suggests. The study, “A Polygenic Score for Body Mass Index is Associated with Depressive Symptoms via Early Life Stress: Evidence for Gene-Environment…

A noninvasive procedure that treats obesity by changing the electrical activity in certain regions of the brain only reduces appetite in people with a certain genetic variation, a study has found. In those without the variation, the procedure — called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) — actually causes a…

Genetics doesn’t just influence a person’s weight, but also how that weight changes in response to weight-loss interventions, a recent study found. Titled, “Genetic predictors of weight loss in overweight and obese subjects,” the study was published in Scientific Reports. When a person’s weight becomes a medical…

Exercises such as regular jogging, mountain climbing, and walking can reduce the effects of genetic predisposition to obesity, new research suggests. However, the genetic effects on obesity do not seem to be influenced by other exercises, such as cycling, stretching, or swimming. The data were published in the journal PLOS…

Eating more fruits and vegetables can lead to less weight gain, and this effect is strongest among those who are genetically predisposed to be obese, a new study has found. The study, titled “Improving fruit and vegetable intake attenuates the genetic association with long-term weight gain,” was…

A man’s body mass index might influence his sperm’s epigenome — chemical changes in DNA that determine how each gene is read — and even his children’s epigenome, although the magnitude of this effect on offspring is likely small, if it exists at all, a recent study suggests. The…

While genes do predispose people to obesity, changes in dietary and lifestyle factors are the primary reasons for the massive increase in obesity rates in the last five decades, new research suggests. The study, “Quantifying the impact of genes on body mass index during the obesity epidemic:…

People genetically predisposed toward obesity — particularly females — are more likely to have lower incomes and household wealth later in life, mostly due to attaining less education throughout their lives, a recent study suggests. The study, “Effect of Genetic Propensity for Obesity on Income and Wealth…

Epigenetic modifications in genes involved in smelling seem to correlate with obesity indicators, like body mass index and waist circumference, by influencing a person’s eating habits, a new study has found. The study, “Associations between olfactory pathway gene methylation marks, obesity features and dietary intakes,” was published…