Photo by Bill
Branson, NIH
(December 23, 2015) Some
health experts predict that the next big advance in helping overweight people
achieve a healthier weight will be to use an individual's genetic data to
customize diets and physical activity plans, an approach known as
"precision weight loss." A recent summary report on the genetics of
weight loss, developed by some of the leading experts in this field, finds that
the biggest challenge to realizing this dream is the need for better analytical
tools for discovering the relationships between genetics, behavior and
weight-related diseases.
The report, which appears in the January edition of the
journal Obesity, summarizes what scientists currently know about factors that
influence weight loss and weight regain, and it identifies how genetic
information and data collection from noninvasive, portable devices may soon be
incorporated into research and weight loss treatment.
"I think within five years, we'll see people start to
use a combination of genetic, behavioral and other sophisticated data to
develop individualized weight management plans," says Molly Bray, a
geneticist and professor of nutritional sciences at The University of Texas at
Austin, who led the working group.
Bray speculates that in the future, patients might submit
saliva samples for gene sequencing, along with using automated sensors to
collect information about factors such as their environment, diet, activity and
stress. A computer algorithm would take this information and provide patients
with specific recommendations to achieve their target weight.