DNA Testing for Weight Loss
Replies
-
Ain't new. It's actually been thought about for over 20 years. And I'm NEVER against new methodology AS LONG AS it's actually legit. This isn't legit. Why can one twin get fat and the other stay lean if they share the same exact genetics?kristielove wrote: »@ninerbuff so as a trainer you would speak against new scientific tools to help one possibly maximize their weight loss?
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
magic?3 -
Livescience has an article about it.
The study, not peer reviewed, shows out of 101 only 5 obese women lost weight on the DNA recommended diet. There is no information if they kept it off.
2 -
Lol, let me guess................the DNA diet suggested they eat less than they burn?leanjogreen18 wrote: »Livescience has an article about it.
The study, not peer reviewed, shows out of 101 only 5 obese women lost weight on the DNA recommended diet. There is no information if they kept it off.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
6 -
http://www.livescience.com/15137-genetic-test-lose-weight.html
Seems they are told how much to reduce carbs or fat.
Personally I'd save my 500 and give this testing several more years and some peer reviewed studies, especially since just eating in a deficit is working nicely.1 -
The "DNA Diet" is something a nutritionist came up with - if I recall correctly from my days working in the DNA testing lab, it was exactly that: How tall and how old are you ? M/F? Here, eat this meal plan. Here is your DNA test results. . . and then a meal plan. Generic. There were four or five plans she rotated - nowhere was it promised that "Your DNA type has anything whatsoever to do with this meal plan." Generic meal plan. Generic DNA alleles. The client paid for a DNA test that anyone can get for $99 and paid for a meal plan that you can get online.
That will be $500 please.
Your results are invalid.13 -
@Tacklewasher actually it is what I wrote. What you or "Joe Schmoe" THINKS isn't insightful, it's strongly subjective. And bc "that's the way things go" doesn't mean that's the way it has to be... Something to ponder on, there was a a lot developed by NASA for astronauts (small percentage compared to us commoners) that we all use daily now. There is much one can learn and lots more to be learned by analyzing DNA0
-
kristielove wrote: »@Tacklewasher actually it is what I wrote. What you or "Joe Schmoe" THINKS isn't insightful, it's strongly subjective. And bc "that's the way things go" doesn't mean that's the way it has to be... Something to ponder on, there was a a lot developed by NASA for astronauts (small percentage compared to us commoners) that we all use daily now. There is much one can learn and lots more to be learned by analyzing DNA
does not matter...weight loss still comes down to CICO, regardless of DNA..
not sure why that is so hard to understand...8 -
Sounds like you're already convinced and your mind is made up despite what anybody else says. At least maybe the conversation will be worthwhile to others who read it in the future, maybe it will save them some unnecessary expense for something that will have no effect upon their weight loss.6
-
deannalfisher wrote: »I didn't think any of the gene mapping done to date was at the level of specificity to identify food intolerances - but I'd have to do some research
I'm thinking that it probably just indicates generalities. For example, something like 75% of Native Americans are lactose intolerant. I'm guessing if the DNA indicated that the person had Native American ancestors, it would say that she may be lactose intolerant.
I have a percentage of native american blood,from 3 different tribes(not sure of percentages as I havent done DNA but my sister did trace our lineage), and Im not lactose intolerant.so that would throw the study off one would think.0 -
kristielove wrote: »@NorthCascades what's your point?
How on earth is it not clear what my point is? I thought I wrote it in a way that was easy to understand, could you tell me where you got lost?
My point is that what people competing in the Olympics do to win a gold metal is different from what we should do to lose some weight.
It's a very simple point, but it's correct and you should click the "insightful" button to acknowledge it.
8 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »I didn't think any of the gene mapping done to date was at the level of specificity to identify food intolerances - but I'd have to do some research
I'm thinking that it probably just indicates generalities. For example, something like 75% of Native Americans are lactose intolerant. I'm guessing if the DNA indicated that the person had Native American ancestors, it would say that she may be lactose intolerant.
I have a percentage of native american blood,from 3 different tribes(not sure of percentages as I havent done DNA but my sister did trace our lineage), and Im not lactose intolerant.so that would throw the study off one would think.
I'm partially of Native American heritage also, and not lactose intolerant in the least. I consume dairy products on a daily basis with no problems.2 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »I didn't think any of the gene mapping done to date was at the level of specificity to identify food intolerances - but I'd have to do some research
I'm thinking that it probably just indicates generalities. For example, something like 75% of Native Americans are lactose intolerant. I'm guessing if the DNA indicated that the person had Native American ancestors, it would say that she may be lactose intolerant.
I have a percentage of native american blood,from 3 different tribes(not sure of percentages as I havent done DNA but my sister did trace our lineage), and Im not lactose intolerant.so that would throw the study off one would think.
I'm partially of Native American heritage also, and not lactose intolerant in the least. I consume dairy products on a daily basis with no problems.
Interesting. My mother-in-law was full blooded, and my hubby is slightly lactose intolerant. I wonder if it gets diluted enough after a certain percentage that it doesn't matter?0 -
kristielove wrote: »@Tacklewasher actually it is what I wrote. What you or "Joe Schmoe" THINKS isn't insightful, it's strongly subjective. And bc "that's the way things go" doesn't mean that's the way it has to be... Something to ponder on, there was a a lot developed by NASA for astronauts (small percentage compared to us commoners) that we all use daily now. There is much one can learn and lots more to be learned by analyzing DNA
does not matter...weight loss still comes down to CICO, regardless of DNA..
not sure why that is so hard to understand...
Good point even if the testing is helpful, which apparently their own study only shows 5% success, it seems all it recommends is either lowering carbs or fat by a certain amount. Might be helpful knowing that but useless if it's not sustainable in my opinion.
My luck it would say very low carbs and I wasted 500 bucks because I'm eating plenty of carbs now and losing nicely. I won't restrict again.
But if you've got the money AND you can live with the results why not, I guess. Personally id still wait until more studies are done.
1 -
kristielove wrote: »@Tacklewasher actually it is what I wrote. What you or "Joe Schmoe" THINKS isn't insightful, it's strongly subjective. And bc "that's the way things go" doesn't mean that's the way it has to be... Something to ponder on, there was a a lot developed by NASA for astronauts (small percentage compared to us commoners) that we all use daily now. There is much one can learn and lots more to be learned by analyzing DNA
True - much advancement has been developed by the space program that helps our daily lives. This is a rather poor anecdote to DNA analysis and weight management.
A better one would be Netflix DNA - We'll analyse you DNA and tailor your movie selection based upon these results. What are you reviewing that suggests correlation between the sequence of amino acids and romcoms?
What I and other posters are trying to relay is that there is nothing hidden within your DNA code that would begin to suggest what sort of diet you should be on barring specific genetic disorders (which would not show up on this type of testing).
Having spent the last 17 years of my life studying and manipulating DNA I cannot even fathom the size of the shovel used to sling the BS this company is slinging.17 -
Bet you get weird when drinking alcohol though..............CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »I didn't think any of the gene mapping done to date was at the level of specificity to identify food intolerances - but I'd have to do some research
I'm thinking that it probably just indicates generalities. For example, something like 75% of Native Americans are lactose intolerant. I'm guessing if the DNA indicated that the person had Native American ancestors, it would say that she may be lactose intolerant.
I have a percentage of native american blood,from 3 different tribes(not sure of percentages as I havent done DNA but my sister did trace our lineage), and Im not lactose intolerant.so that would throw the study off one would think.
I'm partially of Native American heritage also, and not lactose intolerant in the least. I consume dairy products on a daily basis with no problems.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
4 -
kristielove wrote: »@Tacklewasher actually it is what I wrote. What you or "Joe Schmoe" THINKS isn't insightful, it's strongly subjective. And bc "that's the way things go" doesn't mean that's the way it has to be... Something to ponder on, there was a a lot developed by NASA for astronauts (small percentage compared to us commoners) that we all use daily now. There is much one can learn and lots more to be learned by analyzing DNA
If you want to spend your money on genetic testing and see if you have any genetic defects or markers for any genetic issues(that can cause your weight loss to be harder than normal) that is one thing, but to have a DNA test for weight loss? no,save your money. I have a few genetic defects and one of them causes me to have a metabolic disorder, I still lose weight with CICO,although its slower I still lose. I have to also be more active than most people(resulting in a higher deficit).but that is me.3 -
For me the total facepalm in this thread is that the OP is being told outright by someone who does this stuff for a living that it's a total scamwoo and is still arguing with them.15
-
For all, I never said my mind was made up. If that were the case I would have just ordered. I asked to get REAL feedback from REAL tester. I too am skeptical. I was actually considering getting a genetic study for heritage and health and happened to come across it.0
-
I have a friend who is now in the process of possible divorce because he chose to spend $2800 on some carbon fiber wheels for his bike, rather than use it to go on vacation with his wife and kids.NorthCascades wrote: »kristielove wrote: »From what I read, a lot of athletes and those who participate in the Olympics use it religiously.
That may be true, and that may not. (If you'd like to share what you've read, the rest of us can find out...)
Athletes competing in the Olympics are competing against other athletes. You and I are not. We're chatting in a weight loss thread.
People competing in triathlon spend $3,000 on bike wheels to reduce aerodynamic drag by very small amounts. Most people in this thread probably shouldn't do that, either. And for the same reasons, the people here are trying to lose some fat off their waste, not to lose 7 seconds on a 40 kilometer time trial.
You're right OP, to each his own.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
There's a saying, if you get a bunch of experienced runners together, they'll start talking about injuries, but if you get a bunch of experienced cyclists together, they'll start talking about expensive bike gear. In the bike and camera worlds, some common wisdom is that whenever you buy an expensive toy for yourself, you buy your wife some nice jewelry, and deliver them both at the same time.
I bought my carbon wheels from a shop in a small mountain town, then told Beth we need to go on vacation there when they were ready to pick up.
8 -
If I have the time, I will post credible reviews from medical journals via my college database0
-
Bet you get weird when drinking alcohol though..............CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »I didn't think any of the gene mapping done to date was at the level of specificity to identify food intolerances - but I'd have to do some research
I'm thinking that it probably just indicates generalities. For example, something like 75% of Native Americans are lactose intolerant. I'm guessing if the DNA indicated that the person had Native American ancestors, it would say that she may be lactose intolerant.
I have a percentage of native american blood,from 3 different tribes(not sure of percentages as I havent done DNA but my sister did trace our lineage), and Im not lactose intolerant.so that would throw the study off one would think.
I'm partially of Native American heritage also, and not lactose intolerant in the least. I consume dairy products on a daily basis with no problems.
Firewater!2 -
kristielove wrote: »For all, I never said my mind was made up. If that were the case I would have just ordered. I asked to get REAL feedback from REAL tester. I too am skeptical. I was actually considering getting a genetic study for heritage and health and happened to come across it.
Heritage is a legitimate pursuit and numerous markers have been identified. I actually find this fascinating as our entire concept of race is foolish as we all descend from a common ancestor. I submitted to Ancestry DNA - this is based upon actual evidence which can be repeated with a high degree of accuracy.
Health is also highly developed; however you need to do this through a medical facility. Even with this the data results are highly suspect and can only show that you have an increased risk to specific issues, not the issues themselves.
Here are the genes that these scam artists have "identified" (note that these are based upon pure demographic stats and show no correlation or causation to obesity or diet): ADRB2, ADRB3, PPARG, FABP2. This will give you a good head start checking out pubmed or similar lit sites. In reviewing the papers I want you to focus on the degree of error section - you will notice that many papers do not have one, which should cause one to disregard the paper.
Long and short this is a reboot of the Blood Type Diet - just rebranded with "DNA" in the title.10 -
kristielove wrote: »For all, I never said my mind was made up. If that were the case I would have just ordered. I asked to get REAL feedback from REAL tester. I too am skeptical. I was actually considering getting a genetic study for heritage and health and happened to come across it.
What about the REAL feedback from the person who worked for the company who does the REAL tests and said it is REALLY a scam?12 -
kristielove wrote: »@Tacklewasher actually it is what I wrote. What you or "Joe Schmoe" THINKS isn't insightful, it's strongly subjective. And bc "that's the way things go" doesn't mean that's the way it has to be... Something to ponder on, there was a a lot developed by NASA for astronauts (small percentage compared to us commoners) that we all use daily now. There is much one can learn and lots more to be learned by analyzing DNA
I'm done. You don't care to listen and I don't care to beat my head against a wall.
9 -
This thread has been very interesting, I had heard about DNA testing for weight and loss wondered if it would be useful, well now I know it wont be.
We all know that DNA testing has already, and certainly will in the future, give us more information on health issues and genetics, it is exciting work, who knows what other things we will discover about DNA and how it affects us as human beings.
OP You have had REAL feedback from some very intelligent and patient people. Several who have had some kind of DNA testing done, one who actually worked for a company that offered that particular DNA test (scam) and another who has worked with DNA for 17 years.
Not to mention a very well informed and respected personal trainer who is always looking out for his fellow MFP members and several other very well informed MFP members.
So I think you have the answer to your question about DNA testing for weight loss. It wont help you lose weight. I don't understand why you are annoyed as this is the answer that could save you a lot of money and disappointment.10 -
There is so much disinformation out there regarding genetics and what research can and cannot do. People tend to think of genetics as some sort of updated version of astrology and that this somehow determines fate, but this is incorrect.
Think of DNA as a typewriter - it sets the parameters on what you are most able to do, but you write the story. You can push past the boundaries of these parameters...it simply depends on the amount of effort you want to put into it.1 -
Bet you get weird when drinking alcohol though..............CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »I didn't think any of the gene mapping done to date was at the level of specificity to identify food intolerances - but I'd have to do some research
I'm thinking that it probably just indicates generalities. For example, something like 75% of Native Americans are lactose intolerant. I'm guessing if the DNA indicated that the person had Native American ancestors, it would say that she may be lactose intolerant.
I have a percentage of native american blood,from 3 different tribes(not sure of percentages as I havent done DNA but my sister did trace our lineage), and Im not lactose intolerant.so that would throw the study off one would think.
I'm partially of Native American heritage also, and not lactose intolerant in the least. I consume dairy products on a daily basis with no problems.
Firewater!
Right, and I have no Native American heritage, am LI, and yet I drink/eat plenty of dairy and have lost a lot of weight. The test wouldn't provide meaningful information to help with weight loss. (I'm assuming you all know I wasn't saying that the suggestion about somebody may be possibly being lactose intolerant was useful.)
If I were overweight and had $500 to spare, I'd set it aside to use on new clothes as I shrank out of them.3 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »I didn't think any of the gene mapping done to date was at the level of specificity to identify food intolerances - but I'd have to do some research
I'm thinking that it probably just indicates generalities. For example, something like 75% of Native Americans are lactose intolerant. I'm guessing if the DNA indicated that the person had Native American ancestors, it would say that she may be lactose intolerant.
I have a percentage of native american blood,from 3 different tribes(not sure of percentages as I havent done DNA but my sister did trace our lineage), and Im not lactose intolerant.so that would throw the study off one would think.
I'm partially of Native American heritage also, and not lactose intolerant in the least. I consume dairy products on a daily basis with no problems.
Interesting. My mother-in-law was full blooded, and my hubby is slightly lactose intolerant. I wonder if it gets diluted enough after a certain percentage that it doesn't matter?
If you are only partially Native American, you could easily get the portion of the DNA that controls for lactose persistence from the other side. That's especially true if it's only a small percentage. (And of course if 75% of Native Americans are lactose intolerant, the other 25% are not.)
Random aside as long as we are talking about DNA (not referring to your family, of course)--the ethnic stuff is pretty fun, but a lot of it is still guess-work too. That's very much the case with the tests that say 50% German or Mediterranean or whatever. They really can't tell the difference between various European groups well, especially within the same general region and especially when (as with Americans of European ancestry) they are all mixed up. My dad shows up as 40% Scandinavian (more than my mom who is about a quarter Swedish but shows up as less). So far as we know (and I've done quite a bit of good research, so I am sure), my dad's family all goes back to the British Isles except for a small bit that goes to France. But is a genetic makeup that overlaps a lot with Scandinavia common in the British Isles? Of course.0 -
kristielove wrote: »For all, I never said my mind was made up. If that were the case I would have just ordered. I asked to get REAL feedback from REAL tester. I too am skeptical. I was actually considering getting a genetic study for heritage and health and happened to come across it.
Heritage is a legitimate pursuit and numerous markers have been identified. I actually find this fascinating as our entire concept of race is foolish as we all descend from a common ancestor. I submitted to Ancestry DNA - this is based upon actual evidence which can be repeated with a high degree of accuracy.
.
Even there they can be a bit vague. My brother had his DNA tested and the results were pretty much as expected. What was interesting is the 32% "North Western European" (everything else was specific: Irish, British, German, Scandinavian) Those dang Vandals, Saxons, Angles, Jutes, Visigoths and all the rest who kept wandering around Europe mixed up everything.
If you were looking for a specific health marker, it might be worth it but to tell you how you should be eating? Spend the $500 on a few sessions with a Registered Dietician.
0 -
Yep, the Norman conquest, from Normandy, France was pretty much Norsemen (of Scandinavian ancestry)...0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 176K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions