Differences in Weight Loss Between Persons on Standard Balanced vs Nutrigenetic Diets in a Randomized Controlled...

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Genetics
• Weight Management

Background:

• Companies offer genetic testing (nutrigenetics) for personalized weight loss diets.
• Nutrigenetic recommendations are based on individual genetic polymorphisms.
• The effectiveness of nutrigenetic diets compared to standard diets needs evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if a nutrigenetic-guided diet leads to greater weight loss than a standard balanced diet.
• To compare weight loss at 8 and 24 weeks in a randomized controlled trial.
• To explore the relationship between adherence, genetic factors, and weight loss.

Main Methods:

• A prospective randomized controlled trial involving 51 obese or overweight U.S. veterans.
• Participants were assigned to either a nutrigenetic-guided diet or a standard balanced diet.
• Nutrigenetic diets were determined by the Pathway FIT genetic test results.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in weight loss (≥5%) was observed between the nutrigenetic and standard diet groups at 8 or 24 weeks.
• Adherence to the nutrigenetic diet significantly correlated with weight loss (r=0.74, P=4.0×10⁻⁵).
• Participants with low-risk obesity polymorphisms showed greater weight loss and reductions in BMI and waist circumference.

Conclusions:

• Nutrigenetic-based diets did not show increased weight loss compared to standard diets in this study.
• Genetic factors may identify individuals who benefit more from specific weight loss strategies.
• Further research is needed to investigate the role of genetic features in personalized weight management.