If you are thinking this sounds a bit far-fetched, have you ever met a family who all live in the same home, eat the same foods, and yet some of them are overweight and others remain slim? Various twin studies and family studies that have been conducted enabled scientists to determine that only 10-22% of our weight is determined by our dietary and lifestyle habits.
3X4 Genetics tests various pathways that have to do with weight management, namely referred to as ‘energy’ in our report. Since food is essentially energy going in and out, the way that our bodies are able to process and use this energy is a majority determining factor in our weight. The following pathways are tested with the 3X4 Genetics test:
1. Appetite/satiety
This refers to how hungry a person feels as well as how full they feel after eating a meal. We all experience hunger and fullness differently.
2. Adipogenesis
This pathway tests a person’s ability to store fat in adipocytes (major energy storage sites in the body), leading to the accumulation of adipose (fat) tissue.
3. Energy expenditure
The rate at which someone uses/burns energy, even when they are sedentary.
4. Exercise response
A person’s ability to burn energy sufficiently when they exercise. In other words, there are many people that are unable to turn adipose (fat) tissue into energy sufficiently during exercise.
5. Weight loss and weight gain resistance
Some people are just resistant to weight gain or weight loss no matter what they try. This is determined by your genetics.
But hope is far from lost!
By testing for what your impacted pathways are, one of our top practitioners can guide you and provide targeted dietary, supplement, and lifestyle changes that can influence the way that your genes are expressed. This will ensure that your recommendations are tailored to your genes, and your health plan is optimised according to your body.
Reference:
Wardle J, Carnell S, Haworth CM, Plomin R. Evidence for a strong genetic influence on childhood adiposity despite the force of the obesogenic environment. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Feb;87(2):398-404. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/87.2.398. PMID: 18258631.