The secret to slimming? Special ‘skinny genes’ double weight loss

Sometimes it seems that certain people are able to lose weight easily while the rest of us have to struggle.

And you really can blame your genes – or lack of them – if you’re struggling to shift the pounds, according to a new study.

Experts have discovered that the secret to losing weight could all be down to a combination of 14 ‘skinny genes’.

Researchers from the University of Essex found they helped people drop twice as much weight when they ran for half an hour three times a week.

The study followed 38 people in the UK all aged between 20 and 40 years old, who underwent a DNA test.

They were instructed to follow their normal diets and lifestyle habits, not do any other training, and were weighed before and after the study.

The team – led by Dr Henry Chung, from the School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences – found those with more of the genes slimmed the most across eight weeks.

People with the most genetic markers lost up to 5kg (11lbs) during the study and people without them dropped an average of 2kg (4.4lbs).

The most important appeared to be the PPARGC1A gene that encodes PGC-1-a – a protein that helps regulate metabolism.

This gene was responsible for nearly two-thirds of weight lost and was present in participants who lost the most weight, the researchers said.

Despite the results, Dr Chung said lifestyle factors and diet are still vital for slimming down.

‘This study highlighted some important genes associated with taking inches off the jeans, but it’s important to remember that the genes will do nothing without exercise and lifestyle changes as they are all interlinked,’ he said.

‘Without intervention, they won’t show their true potential and then it doesn’t matter what genes you have.

The study followed 38 people in the UK all aged between 20 and 40 years old, who underwent a DNA test. Stock image

‘Away from weight loss exercise has so many benefits – ranging from mental health to cardiovascular fitness – so I’d advise everyone to keep on training even if they aren’t seeing the difference on the scales.’

The paper, published in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, builds on Dr Chung’s previous study which showed running performance was also linked to genetics.

He hopes the research will allow governments, companies, and individuals to better tailor health interventions.

‘If we can better understand someone’s specific genetic profile, hopefully, this will translate to better and more successful interventions for improving health outcomes,’ he added.

The study reads: ‘This study found that an individual’s change in body mass in response to exercise is, to a large degree, determined by their specific genetic profile.

‘Given that obesity is a burgeoning challenge to society, a comprehensive knowledge of how genes and their alleles affect the body’s responses to exercise would revolutionize the individualization and effectiveness of exercise programs.’

A previous study found that some people who tend to pile on the pounds can also blame their genes.

Researchers discovered that a mutation on a single gene can lead to children weighing an extra 17kg (37lbs) by the time they are 18.

And there could be as many as 200,000 people in the UK who are carrying extra fat due to this genetic quirk, they said.

Around two decades ago, scientists discovered a particular gene – melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) – makes a protein that sends signals to appetite sensors in the brain, indicating how much fat we have stored.

When this gene does not work properly our brains think we have lower fat stores than we do, signalling that we are starving and need to eat.

The research team, from the University of Bristol, found that around one in every 340 people may carry a disruptive mutation on MC4R – meaning they are likely to weigh more from a young age.

These results were found by studying the MC4R gene in a random sample of 6,000 participants born in Bristol in 1990-91.