DNA kit to test best diet and exercise
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jesselee10 wrote: »I just purchased a DNA kit that will test what diet and exercise program is best for my body. Has anyone done one of these and did the results make a difference when followed?
I think that a test like this can't really tell you what diet and exercise are best for your body at this time. I think they are just taking money from you and making common sense suggestions that could work for most people.
You could figure out on your own through experience that you feel good eating a certain way or doing certain exercises over others. Or hire a dietician or a personal trainer to work with you on developing plans that suit you and your individual goals.
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I get a kick out of people who go in for these DNA tests. Would you willingly submit your DNA to a database operated by the government? The answer is almost universally HELL NO. But you're willing to pay a private corporation to take your DNA in exchange for some largely trivial information in return?? Did you read the agreement saying what will happen to your DNA when you get your trivial answers? Do you know what that private corporation can now do with your DNA?
It's like this but with DNA
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@jesselee10jesselee10
If getting the test done motivates you and you can afford it, then go for it and have fun with it. This is journey and if this makes you take a different view of weight loss, and you are not expecting miracles to replace consistency and tenacity, then that is okay. You obliviously have doubts or would not have posted, so just set your expectations accordingly.
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born_of_fire74 wrote: »I get a kick out of people who go in for these DNA tests. Would you willingly submit your DNA to a database operated by the government? The answer is almost universally HELL NO. But you're willing to pay a private corporation to take your DNA in exchange for some largely trivial information in return?? Did you read the agreement saying what will happen to your DNA when you get your trivial answers? Do you know what that private corporation can now do with your DNA?
It's like this but with DNA
OMG... LOVE this!
ETA: also, the private companies monetizing personal data will turn it over to the govt when subpoenaed, so worst of both.7 -
After working in the industry, I think DNA testing across wide swaths of people will end up being a very good thing in time, but even the Ancestry ones won't be of much help to most people because what they *think* they will find out is really not what the results will disclose. Ancestry is either extremely micro (as in, immediate family) or extremely macro (as in, 100,000 years ago your ancestors lived here - pointing to an entire continent.) Not really what people think they will get at all.
In time these shared databases with computer number-crunching will be really helpful for disease prevention and for diagnostic purposes.
We're not there yet. Not enough population data has been collected.
I did a test, just a general ID test because why not? I don't think my insurance company is going to use it against me. My tin foil hat is on someone else's head. If I get a disease, they still have to pay. It is only a problem if/when there are health insurance exclusion clauses (pre-existing conditions exclusions) - which I don't think are legal right now. If I have a marker I may or may not get that illness before I fall off a cliff hiking.6 -
A DNA test that tells you what exercise is right for your body? Say what now?5
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A DNA test that tells you what exercise is right for your body? Say what now?
Somatotypes go high tech. Sounds like it's just as reliable.
OP, can you get your money back? There is lots of great information here on losing weight and working towards the body you would like. The best part... it's free. Start here:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p110 -
born_of_fire74 wrote: »I get a kick out of people who go in for these DNA tests. Would you willingly submit your DNA to a database operated by the government? The answer is almost universally HELL NO. But you're willing to pay a private corporation to take your DNA in exchange for some largely trivial information in return?? Did you read the agreement saying what will happen to your DNA when you get your trivial answers? Do you know what that private corporation can now do with your DNA?
It's like this but with DNA
OMG... LOVE this!
ETA: also, the private companies monetizing personal data will turn it over to the govt when subpoenaed, so worst of both.
* thumbs up* You see what I'm laying down...
Google is a fine example of how a private corporation will give up your information with only the slightest bit of pressure...information that you would never willingly give to the government but don't even think twice about shoveling at private corporations.5 -
cmriverside wrote: »After working in the industry, I think DNA testing across wide swaths of people will end up being a very good thing in time, but even the Ancestry ones won't be of much help to most people because what they *think* they will find out is really not what the results will disclose. Ancestry is either extremely micro (as in, immediate family) or extremely macro (as in, 100,000 years ago your ancestors lived here - pointing to an entire continent.) Not really what people think they will get at all.
In time these shared databases with computer number-crunching will be really helpful for disease prevention and for diagnostic purposes.
We're not there yet. Not enough population data has been collected.
I did a test, just a general ID test because why not? I don't think my insurance company is going to use it against me. My tin foil hat is on someone else's head. If I get a disease, they still have to pay. It is only a problem if/when there are health insurance exclusion clauses (pre-existing conditions exclusions) - which I don't think are legal right now. If I have a marker I may or may not get that illness before I fall off a cliff hiking.
You touch on my thoughts. I have little issue with a DNA testing company selling my info anonymously for research (if they ask my permission first). I have HUGE issues with all the crap insurance companies pass around to deny medical coverage or rate your policies.3 -
MikePfirrman wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »After working in the industry, I think DNA testing across wide swaths of people will end up being a very good thing in time, but even the Ancestry ones won't be of much help to most people because what they *think* they will find out is really not what the results will disclose. Ancestry is either extremely micro (as in, immediate family) or extremely macro (as in, 100,000 years ago your ancestors lived here - pointing to an entire continent.) Not really what people think they will get at all.
In time these shared databases with computer number-crunching will be really helpful for disease prevention and for diagnostic purposes.
We're not there yet. Not enough population data has been collected.
I did a test, just a general ID test because why not? I don't think my insurance company is going to use it against me. My tin foil hat is on someone else's head. If I get a disease, they still have to pay. It is only a problem if/when there are health insurance exclusion clauses (pre-existing conditions exclusions) - which I don't think are legal right now. If I have a marker I may or may not get that illness before I fall off a cliff hiking.
You touch on my thoughts. I have little issue with a DNA testing company selling my info anonymously for research (if they ask my permission first). I have HUGE issues with all the crap insurance companies pass around to deny medical coverage or rate your policies.
Well, and it's not like you have to show ID to have a test done. If you are the Conspiracy Theory type, just use a fake name.
We did tests on Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Andrea Doria, John and Jane Doe, Dracula. They only have what you give them.
And no, Mickey Mouse and Mighty Mouse are not biologically related.
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born_of_fire74 wrote: »I get a kick out of people who go in for these DNA tests. Would you willingly submit your DNA to a database operated by the government? The answer is almost universally HELL NO. But you're willing to pay a private corporation to take your DNA in exchange for some largely trivial information in return?? Did you read the agreement saying what will happen to your DNA when you get your trivial answers? Do you know what that private corporation can now do with your DNA?
It's like this but with DNA
OMG... LOVE this!
ETA: also, the private companies monetizing personal data will turn it over to the govt when subpoenaed, so worst of both.
Here's the thing, though.
They can't prove who took these tests.
When we did tests that were required for legal purposes (such as familial documentation) the patient/DNA contributor had to be verified by two witnesses that were not related to or who had no personal relationship to the contributor. The contributor(s) had to have passports or driver's licenses, and those ID docs were copied and sent to the lab with the samples along with digital or Polaroid images of the contributor taken at the time of the swabbing procedure and it was handled forensically just like a legal/police case, with chain of custody documentation all the way through. That means, a home test done by John Doe in the privacy of his own home is not admissible for use for legal purposes.
We did a lot of immigration and paternity testing. The Gobment doesn't let Abu Abististan send in a swab he did himself and then enter the US based on his (dubious) alleged relationship to Ebee Abististan, who is already a legal citizen. (Names are made up.) The government doesn't force John to pay Jane child support based on a DNA paternity test that Jane submitted and that they did the swabs themselves at home. It just doesn't work like that.
An insurance provider could not subpoena DNA tests that people did in their own homes and use them as a basis for insurance exclusion. Now if the insurance company got that contributor to give permission and did the DNA test itself WITH I.D. DOCUMENTATION, then they could subpoena those test results.
All this fear is just unfounded.16 -
I'm somewhat familiar with this, as I have seen some marketing materials from another site that I frequent. Here are the kinds of things they advertise:Learn about your body's predisposition to key nutrients and get tips for adjusting your diet
- Vitamin D
- Magnesium
- Blood Glucose
- Omega-3
...
Learn how your body's predispositions could impact your weight loss efforts
- Body mass index
- Low Fat Diets
- Saturated Fat
- Sugary Beverages
- Physical Activity
...
Get insight on how your genes could affect your sensitivities and tips to adjust your diet to feel better
- Gluten Tolerance
- Lactose Tolerance
- Caffeine Metabolism
...
Learn how your tastes are affected by your genetic makeup and what you can do to accomodate them
- Sweet Tooth
- Bitter Taste
...
Find out how your genetic makeup could affect your body's response to certain activities
-Endurance vs Power Activities
- Sodium Levels and Hydration
To which I say:
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If it was cheap and you could get some useful information other than what exercise or diet you should be doing then maybe yes for entertainment value. I have strong doubts unless they ask a lot of qualifying questions upfront like weight, height, build and fitness level. Of course if they ask all of that what is the test revealing?0
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cmriverside wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »After working in the industry, I think DNA testing across wide swaths of people will end up being a very good thing in time, but even the Ancestry ones won't be of much help to most people because what they *think* they will find out is really not what the results will disclose. Ancestry is either extremely micro (as in, immediate family) or extremely macro (as in, 100,000 years ago your ancestors lived here - pointing to an entire continent.) Not really what people think they will get at all.
In time these shared databases with computer number-crunching will be really helpful for disease prevention and for diagnostic purposes.
We're not there yet. Not enough population data has been collected.
I did a test, just a general ID test because why not? I don't think my insurance company is going to use it against me. My tin foil hat is on someone else's head. If I get a disease, they still have to pay. It is only a problem if/when there are health insurance exclusion clauses (pre-existing conditions exclusions) - which I don't think are legal right now. If I have a marker I may or may not get that illness before I fall off a cliff hiking.
You touch on my thoughts. I have little issue with a DNA testing company selling my info anonymously for research (if they ask my permission first). I have HUGE issues with all the crap insurance companies pass around to deny medical coverage or rate your policies.
Well, and it's not like you have to show ID to have a test done. If you are the Conspiracy Theory type, just use a fake name.
We did tests on Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Andrea Doria, John and Jane Doe, Dracula. They only have what you give them.
And no, Mickey Mouse and Mighty Mouse are not biologically related.
So you're saying my fear that I'm so awesome they will use my DNA to clone me, or I am so important that they will use my DNA to reverse engineer a personalized poison, are unfounded? I'm not convinced.
Honestly, I can't help shake the sour feeling I have about sending a sample of what <biologically at least> makes me me to a company when I don't 100% understand all of this stuff anyway. I can totally own that I have no sturdy basis for that though, just feelz and stuff.
To the OP, it's a waste of money. If you want to do it for curiosity's sake and have the $$$ to burn, go for it. But there is currently no proof that anyone can use your DNA to accurately determine what you should eat or what workout to do. Your own experience through trial and error and tracking your data would be way more useful.7 -
Well I am pretty fit already just trying to loose the extra 5-10% body fat. I have seen high end fitness people do this test and results would indicate if individual would be better on a higher carb diet va high protein, high fat, etc and exercise based on individual. I already do lots of weight training but interested to see if adding liss cardio or hitt would be better for my body type.
For those talking about selling my dna to government I did think of that but with all the stuff out there now with smart phones I think that is more worrisome. The only thing that could be crazy is if they can telepathically alter my being with the dna they have😬14 -
jesselee10 wrote: »I just purchased a DNA kit that will test what diet and exercise program is best for my body. Has anyone done one of these and did the results make a difference when followed?
Heard of it.
Determines if you have slightly more fast or slow twitch fibers for the exercise side of things.
Diet attempts to see if allergies or sensitivities to things. This is less known for what genes might show other things.
In either case - it's giving advice for what you might consider the minors that allow the 15% improvement when you've already done the majors taking care of the 85% of stuff that will show improvement.
Like if a pro athlete and to find a certain type of workout can get you that last little bit of improvement easier rather than harder.
Now, I guess if a teenager wondering if you should go for sprints or endurance length race training and events - might be interesting.
But I'm pretty sure a good coach can look at equal training and determine the same type of preference.1 -
jesselee10 wrote: »Well I am pretty fit already just trying to loose the extra 5-10% body fat. I have seen high end fitness people do this test and results would indicate if individual would be better on a higher carb diet va high protein, high fat, etc and exercise based on individual. I already do lots of weight training but interested to see if adding liss cardio or hitt would be better for my body type.
For those talking about selling my dna to government I did think of that but with all the stuff out there now with smart phones I think that is more worrisome. The only thing that could be crazy is if they can telepathically alter my being with the dna they have😬
The more science fiction you read/watch, the scarier it becomes, right???
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I read an article summarizing the scientific info we have on these tests so far, which said basically that it's a nice idea but the data isn't there.
More personal anecdote: my mom has been DNA tested (for family research reasons, which I highly recommend if you are interested in genealogy) and I submitted her DNA to Promethease, which gives you info on stuff like lactose tolerance, etc. They say she is not lactose intolerant. But she is. To be more specific she has TWO genes which should allow her to digest lactose, and more than two genes govern that function.
GEDmatch has an eye color predictor which predicts the color of your eyes based on your genes. They look at over 60 genes which have been identified as having an effect on eye color. My mother they get mostly correct - her eyes are very pale gray, and they guess her eyes as being pale blue. Me, totally incorrect. They think my eyes are pale blue, and they are actually bright green with a yellow central circle and dark rims. They aren't doing anything wrong, it's just that they haven't identified ALL the genes which influence eye color, and I clearly have something going on that they haven't identified yet.
If predictions based on reading DNA can't manage something simple and easily observed like eye color yet, what makes you think they can manage something complex and hard to observe like dietary benefits?17 -
jesselee10 wrote: »Well I am pretty fit already just trying to loose the extra 5-10% body fat. I have seen high end fitness people do this test and results would indicate if individual would be better on a higher carb diet va high protein, high fat, etc and exercise based on individual. I already do lots of weight training but interested to see if adding liss cardio or hitt would be better for my body type.
For those talking about selling my dna to government I did think of that but with all the stuff out there now with smart phones I think that is more worrisome. The only thing that could be crazy is if they can telepathically alter my being with the dna they have😬
Why not just... try it without spending the $800.00? Check your results after a month or two.15 -
cmriverside wrote: »MikePfirrman wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »After working in the industry, I think DNA testing across wide swaths of people will end up being a very good thing in time, but even the Ancestry ones won't be of much help to most people because what they *think* they will find out is really not what the results will disclose. Ancestry is either extremely micro (as in, immediate family) or extremely macro (as in, 100,000 years ago your ancestors lived here - pointing to an entire continent.) Not really what people think they will get at all.
In time these shared databases with computer number-crunching will be really helpful for disease prevention and for diagnostic purposes.
We're not there yet. Not enough population data has been collected.
I did a test, just a general ID test because why not? I don't think my insurance company is going to use it against me. My tin foil hat is on someone else's head. If I get a disease, they still have to pay. It is only a problem if/when there are health insurance exclusion clauses (pre-existing conditions exclusions) - which I don't think are legal right now. If I have a marker I may or may not get that illness before I fall off a cliff hiking.
You touch on my thoughts. I have little issue with a DNA testing company selling my info anonymously for research (if they ask my permission first). I have HUGE issues with all the crap insurance companies pass around to deny medical coverage or rate your policies.
Well, and it's not like you have to show ID to have a test done. If you are the Conspiracy Theory type, just use a fake name.
We did tests on Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Andrea Doria, John and Jane Doe, Dracula. They only have what you give them.
And no, Mickey Mouse and Mighty Mouse are not biologically related.
So you're saying my fear that I'm so awesome they will use my DNA to clone me, or I am so important that they will use my DNA to reverse engineer a personalized poison, are unfounded? I'm not convinced.
Honestly, I can't help shake the sour feeling I have about sending a sample of what <biologically at least> makes me me to a company when I don't 100% understand all of this stuff anyway. I can totally own that I have no sturdy basis for that though, just feelz and stuff.
To the OP, it's a waste of money. If you want to do it for curiosity's sake and have the $$$ to burn, go for it. But there is currently no proof that anyone can use your DNA to accurately determine what you should eat or what workout to do. Your own experience through trial and error and tracking your data would be way more useful.
ha.
Better not ever get a pap smear. Or a blood test. You know that stuff has DNA in it, right?
Or leave a cup at a restaurant...
Or mail a letter that you've licked to the IRS.
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