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posted by mrpg on Tuesday July 24 2018, @04:30AM   Printer-friendly
from the finally dept.

Individualized dietary recommendations based on genetic information are currently a popular trend. A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has systematically analyzed scientific articles and reached the following conclusion: There is no clear evidence for the effect of genetic factors on the consumption of total calories, carbohydrates, and fat. According to the current state of knowledge, the expedience of gene-based dietary recommendations has yet to be proven.

Overweight and obesity have become a global health problem. According to the World Health Organization, 39 percent of adults in EU countries have overweight. In Germany more than 50 percent of adults suffer from overweight, almost one fifth is according to the Robert Koch Institute currently considered obese. This is primarily due to the modern lifestyle which is characterized by low physical activity and high-calorie foods.

Also genetic factors play a role in the occurrence of obesity. To date, around a hundred genes (loci) have been identified which are related to the body mass index (BMI). However, the functioning of these genes as well as the biological mechanisms behind them are still largely unknown. The investigation of the relationship between genetic factors and nutrition can shed light on whether the genes which are linked to BMI play a role in nutrition.


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  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by AthanasiusKircher on Tuesday July 24 2018, @08:46AM (1 child)

    by AthanasiusKircher (5291) on Tuesday July 24 2018, @08:46AM (#711637) Journal

    No, it's not "off" but it only can take a little "miscalibration" to have a large effect over time.

    Suppose you overeat by only 100 extra calories per day. You have an extra cookie or take another small scoop of mashed potatoes with a small pat of butter or have an extra can of soda. Lots of little things easily add up to 100 calories.

    It's an oversimplification, but fat tissue roughly is equivalent to about 3500 calories per pound. So, that 100 calories extra per day can add up to a weight gain of roughly 10 pounds per year. Do that for a decade, and you are 100 pounds overweight.

    Obviously this is oversimplified (and you'd have to keep increasing intake over time to maintain that rate of gain, since even fat tissue will raise the amount of calories your body needs per day).

    But the point stands: a minor but consistent miscalibration in the feeling of "fullness" on a daily basis can add up to major problems in the long-term.

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  • (Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday July 24 2018, @01:53PM

    by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday July 24 2018, @01:53PM (#711717)

    Not to disagree, but to embrace and extend, there's the side issue of it being a stereotype that high carb binging results in stereotypical thanksgiving style lethargy for some hours until the blood sugar stabilizes (if, for some people, it EVER does...) , so a decade of "That double bowl of ice cream tasted so good ... I was gonna mow the lawn, but F it, I'm tired now, I'll mow the lawn tomorrow" could result in the same 100 pound gain.