People with a high genetic risk for obesity have to work out more to maintain a healthy weight, according to an NHLBI-funded study published in JAMA Network Open. The findings could lead to individualized exercise prescriptions based on genetics.
Using data from the NIH’s All of Us research program, researchers explored the association of genetic risk of higher body mass index (BMI) and the level of physical activity needed to reduce obesity. The study included 3,124 middle-aged participants without obesity who owned a fitness tracking device and walked an average of 8,326 steps per day for a more than five years.
The incidence of obesity over that period increased 43% for the people with the highest genetic risk scores for obesity but only increased 13% among those with the lowest risk, the researchers said.
People with the highest genetic risk would need to walk an average of 2,280 more steps per day than those with average risk to avoid gaining weight, according to the study results. In addition, those with a high genetic risk and BMIs between 22 and 28 needed to walk an additional 3,460 to 5,350 steps per day to have a risk comparable to those with the least genetic predisposition for obesity, they said.
But your genetic risk doesn’t necessarily determine your overall risk of obesity, the researchers cautioned. You can overcome your genetic risk for obesity by becoming more active, they noted.