Appetite Control Genetic Test

Description

Your eating behaviours influence how much food you eat and your weight: but what affects your eating behaviours? There are many factors which influence your eating behaviours; some of these are external and some are internal. External influences are the ones you can often control””like the smell and sight of foods, how you are feeling and the social setting you are in. Recent research has shown that your body also has internal influences on eating behaviour: your genes can influence how much food you want to eat and the way some foods taste. A simple genetic test can tell you more about these internal influences on eating behaviours. You can then develop a plan with your Emed Practitioner that can help you stay at a healthy weight and reduce the risk of many health problems in spite of your genes.     Genes and Eating Behaviour Recent research suggests that if you have certain gene variations that affect your appetite and the way foods taste, this may influence your eating behaviours and you may find it more difficult to achieve a healthy weight than people who don’t have these variations. The FTO gene is a well-researched gene with evidence showing it is associated with weight gain and obesity. If you have specific variations in the FTO gene, you may have the tendency to eat more than people without these gene variations. This may mean you find it more difficult to achieve a healthy weight than people who don’t have these variations. Click here to find out more about the FTO gene.   Genes and Food Taste Do you enjoy bitter food and drink such as black coffee or do you add lots of milk and sugar? Research has shown that your ability to taste bitter compounds in foods is determined by your genes and that this may vary between people. The TAS2R38 gene is responsible for producing taste receptors on our tongues that detect bitterness. These taste receptors influence your ability to detect bitter flavours in food. If you have certain variations in the TASR38 gene, you may be able to taste more bitter flavours than your friends. If you have other variations in this gene, you may not taste bitter flavours as strongly. Your ability to taste bitter flavours may have an influence on the foods you choose and how much you eat of these foods.   Who Should Have The Test? Knowing how genes may influence eating behaviours can help anyone to better understand their body. Because being overweight can increase your risk of developing many lifestyle diseases, having this test may be very helpful for anyone who:

• Wants to better understand the influences on their eating behaviours and weight.
• Wants to take positive steps towards reaching a healthy weight.
• Has a family or personal history of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood cholesterol or high blood pressure.

Knowing how your genes may influence your food intake and weight can help you to better understand your body. These results can help you to manage your health whether you are currently overweight or at a healthy weight.   What Will My Results Tell Me? Your results will tell you if you have:

• Variations in the FTO gene that may influence you to eat more than other people who don’t have this variation.
• Variations in the TASR38 gene that may make you more likely to taste bitter flavours than other people.

Once we know your gene variants, your Emed Practitioner can then make specific health and diet recommendations for you based on your results. These recommendations can help you to manage your health whether you are currently overweight or at a healthy weight.   It’s Important To Know… Having variations in the FTO gene is not the only cause of being overweight. If you have these gene variations, you can still lose weight and stay at a healthy weight: you just may need to work harder.   Further Reading:

• Do You Have The Fat (FTO) Gene?
• Genetic Testing Explained
• It’s Not Just Your Genes