5 super-simple ways you can turn off your 'fat genes'

You have to try number 3!

If your mom and dad both struggled with their weight, you might wonder if you're destined for the same fate as you grow older. But the good news is, not all these genes are necessarily set in stone. Some of these so-called "fat genes" can turn off and on depending on your habits and your environment.

Compiled from Women’s Health, here is a list of five smart strategies to hack your DNA and turn off your fat switch instead.



1. Depend on protein

Chicken, eggs, and other protein-rich foods are more than just muscle builders. A 2014 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who carry a variant of the FTO gene linked with higher obesity risk had less appetite and fewer cravings when they ate a low-calorie diet with 25% protein. Protein fills you up and requires more energy to digest than other nutrients do, says study author George Bray of Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

"Spreading protein intake throughout the day helps your body best utilise it for function and rebuilding after exercise," says dietitian Rebecca Clyde.

2. Eat early in the day

Your body runs on an internal clock, which is why you feel lethargic when you wake up at the wrong time. This clock ticks in every cell of your body and influences your metabolism as well as your sleep habits. A 2016 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that overweight people who carried a certain variant of the PLIN1 gene associated with obesity lost more weight when they ate lunch earlier in the day. And the earlier they took that midday meal, the better the results.

There's a simple way to determine how many calories to consume for breakfast, says dietician Dina D'Alessandro. “Count the hours between breakfast and lunch on a typical day and multiply by 100,” she states.



3. Increase your workload

A lifestyle with abundant physical work may help offset the impact of carrying risky variants of the FTO gene. There are many ways to log an extra 900 calories a day. For example, walk briskly for eight miles over about two hours. Or try to run seven miles in an hour. Or bike to work for 50 minutes each way.

4. Go Mediterranean

A variant of a gene called MC4R predisposes its carriers to obesity and type 2 diabetes. But there's hope: A Mediterranean-style diet may cancel out that increased genetic risk, recent research suggests. This famously healthy (and delicious!) diet is rich in olive oil, fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts. As you eat more Mediterranean foods, think about the tasty stuff you're adding, not what you're missing (like processed foods).



5. Guzzle green tea

This beverage might boost the activity of several genes that regulate metabolism, like one known as GLUT4. In a 12-week study period, rats fed a high-fat diet plus green tea showed greater GLUT4 expression than rats fed the same diet with water. In humans, green tea antioxidants have been shown to improve blood sugar control.

Have something to add in the story? Share it in the comments below.