Healthy Food & Healthy Living by Dr. Ayala

Are low glycemic diets better for your heart?

How much we eat matters a whole lot, and the bottom line is that too many calories, no matter what their source, will lead to weight gain and the myriad of health consequences related to overweight, including increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers. 

But what we eat matters, too, and lots of study and experimentation addresses the issue of which foods and nutrients (fat varieties, protein, carbs) lead to better health and better chances of losing weight and keeping it off.  The connection between the fat in the diet -- more specifically the saturated fat component -- and heart health is a much-studied topic.  But could different carbs and protein matter just as much?

Low Glycemic eating pattern and heart disease risk

All carbohydrates are not created equal -- at least not by the way our body responds to them.

The glycemic index, developed initially for the treatment of diabetes, ranks carbohydrate-containing foods based on how they affect blood sugar levels when eaten in isolation. Carbs that break down quickly, like white bread and potatoes, have a high glycemic index, and those that release sugar into the blood stream more gradually, like fruit, have a low glycemic index. Foods are scored on a scale of 0 to 100.

Glycemic index’s proposed effect on both metabolism and health outcomes seems quite plausible: Blood glucose fluctuations elicit a cascade of hormonal reactions, which can potentially affect satiety, hunger, blood lipids and inflammation.

And indeed, a few short term studies show that a low glycemic diet can decrease hunger and control weight regain.  The glycemic index is taken into consideration in many popular weight management plans, including the South Beach Diet, Nutrisystem, the Zone diet and Sugar Busters.

And now, a new study in Circulation looks at how different weight maintenance diets -- differing in glycemic index and protein content -- affect heart disease risk.  The study group of about 500 overweight people first lost weight over 8 weeks on a low calorie diet.  After shedding about 8 percent of body weight the participants were randomly assigned to one of 5 diets, which they successfully maintained for 6 months:

• Low glycemic low protein
• High glycemic low protein
• Low glycemic high protein
• High glycemic high protein
• Control diet: healthy diet conforming to national standards

Heart disease develops over very long periods of time, so what the investigators studied were markers, known risk factors for heart disease, one of which was C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein found in the blood, and the levels of which indicate inflammation.  Low-level inflammation is believed to be the cause of many disease processes and to be prevalent in overweight people.

Here are the study’s main findings:

• During the 8 weeks of calorie restriction and rapid weight loss all the participants had a marked improvement in blood pressure, blood lipids (cholesterol profile) and CRP.
• During the 26 weeks of weight maintenance period only the two groups on a low glycemic diet experienced further reduction in CRP. Protein content and further weight loss didn’t affect the connection between low glycemic diets and lower CRP.
• Despite lower body weight, once the low-calorie diet was replaced by the maintenance diets, cholesterol and LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol) returned to baseline.
• And since I know you're wondering: The best diet for weight maintenance was the low glycemic/high protein one -- after 6 months the high glycemic/low protein group gained about 4.5 pounds more compared to the low glycemic/high protein group.

Could low glycemic diets affect inflammation?  The authors cite several studies that also found that low glycemic diets are associated with lower CRP, and suggest that high blood glucose after meals stimulates the expression of inflammatory genes.  

Is low glycemic the next Atkins?

I hope that after all these decades of going all-the-way with low carb, low fat and other simplistic, total sweeping rules – to no avail -- we’ve learned that nutrition is both exceedingly complex and at the same time practically quite simple.

Low glycemic eating patterns seem to have growing scientific support.  Low glycemic foods correspond quite often with the age-old understanding of what’s good to eat. Most highly processed grain products have a high glycemic index, whereas minimally processed grains, whole fruits, legumes, and non-starchy vegetables tend to have a moderate or low glycemic index.

On the other hand pure fructose and ice cream have a very low glycemic index, table sugar and high fructose corn syrup have only a moderate one, and potatoes and white rice are the root of all glycemic evil, with a glycemic index of about 100.

So clearly, glycemic index is only one of the parameters we need to think about when selecting carbs, but food choices cannot be made using glycemic index alone.

The glycemic index also has plenty of shortcoming: It’s difficult (and costly) to test the glycemic index of food, there’s inter-lab variability, the type and proportion of sugar or starch in a food affects glycemic index but so do a lot of other factors in the meal—the way the food’s been cooked, the presence of fiber, protein, fat, alcohol or acid all affect the glucose response—and there’s plenty of individual variability.  Finally, the glycemic index of the food matters much less than how much of that food you’re eating.   To really make the glycemic index useful you’ll need to calculate the glycemic load -- taking into account the glycemic index, the percentage of carbs in the food and the portion size – a better predictor of how your blood sugar will be affected by that certain meal component.

So while the glycemic index might be worth thinking about, especially for diabetics and overweight people, adhering to a healthy diet, rich in fruits, veggies and whole grains and avoiding highly processed junk is probably good enough practical advice for most of us –- and it has the added advantage of standing the test of time.

Dr. Ayala

 

Thanksgiving Healthy Side Dish Recipe Collection

I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your kind readership. 

In case you're still looking to add some color and health to your big meal, or looking for "cleansing" recipes for the coming weekend, I'd like to share a few of my healthy Thanksgiving/fall recipes, most of which can be prepared well in advance and require minimal finishing touches.

I'd also like to share a wonderful New York Times article by John Tierney, emphasizing the health benefits of gratitude.  Tierney writes:

"Cultivating an “attitude of gratitude” has been linked to better health, sounder sleep, less anxiety and depression, higher long-term satisfaction with life and kinder behavior toward others, including romantic partners."  

But how do you get to this heightened level of gratefulness?  Tierney consulted with some of the greatest experts in the field and provides tricks and practical advice -- really simple ideas that I liked a lot! On adopting the "it could be worse" attitude:

"Instead of focusing on the dry, tasteless turkey on your plate, be grateful the six-hour roasting process killed any toxic bacteria."

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday,

Dr. Ayala

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Roasted squash and chestnut soup with mulling spices

 

This is a terrific fall soup, perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s easy to make, and requires no pre-prepared soup stock. The aroma of the mulled spices is festive and somewhat surprising in a soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise and cored
• 1 large onion
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 pound peeled roasted chestnuts (you can find peeled chestnuts sold in jars)
• 1-2 tablespoons honey
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the mulling spices:

• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice 
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
• 5 cardamom pods, bruised
• Orange peel zest (the outer colorful skin of the orange peel)--about half an orange

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the squashes, cut-side down, on a baking pan and bake until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Cut into large chunks.

Gather the mulling spices into a muslin bag, tea ball or cheesecloth pouch. (The orange peel and cinnamon sticks can be allowed to roam free in the pot; they’ll be easy to fish out.)

In a large soup pot, over medium-high heat, sauté onions until translucent.

Add the chunks of roasted squash, honey, salt, pepper, and half the chestnuts.

Add water to cover by 1.5 inch and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.

Add the mulling spices, including the orange peel and cinnamon sticks.

Simmer over moderate heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove the mulling spices, orange peel and cinnamon sticks.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender. (This is an inexpensive kitchen tool that saves a lot of cleanup. Immerse the blender into the pot in which the food has been cooked, and easily puree it with a switch of a button. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a blender or food processor.)

Crumble the remaining chestnuts into the pureed soup.

Taste and correct seasoning by adding ground cinnamon, more salt or some more freshly ground pepper.

To serve:

Garnish with freshly toasted pumpkin seeds (an excellent source of omega 3), and/or a cinnamon stick.

Serves 8-10.

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Roasted red and golden beets, with reduced balsamic vinegar

 

Beets are easy to find, especially between spring and fall. They make for a very simple, delicious, healthy dish that epitomizes fall color to me.
If you can find golden beets, they make for a delightful color contrast with the red beets. They also taste really great.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium red beets, rinsed, not peeled
• 3 medium golden beets, rinsed, not peeled
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar for reduced balsamic glaze
• Fresh herbs to garnish (chives, parsley or tarragon)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Optional - fresh goat cheese (chèvre)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and place in pan in the oven.

Roast until tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and let cool.

When beets are cool enough to handle, peel and slice them. (Red beets can be peeled and sliced in advance. Golden beets change color when exposed to air, so slice just before serving.)

To make reduced balsamic glaze: In a small pan over high heat, bring vinegar to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, and evaporate balsamic until quantity halves and turns to a light syrup.

Drizzle reduced balsamic over the beets.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Garnish with fresh herbs, and add goat cheese if desired.

Serves 8-10 as a side dish.
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Herbed brown rice  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup parsley
• 1 cup cilantro
• ¼ cup mint leaves
• 1 ½ cup brown rice
• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper to taste

Preparation: 

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil

Wash the herbs, remove the large stems leaving mostly leaves (you can cheat a little, since it’s all going into the food processor)

Place herbs and ½ a cup of the warm vegetable stock in a blender or food processor and process until you have a smooth chunk-less puree.  Add the puree to the rest of the stock

Wash the rice in a sieve under cold water

In a medium pot heat the oil on medium high, and sauté the onions and the paprika and salt for a few minutes until translucent

Add the rice, and toss around until the rice is aromatic and coated with oil

Add the herbed broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a low simmer

Cook rice according to directions – mine cooks for about 1½ hours

Fluff the rice, check seasoning, and serve with a few leftover sprigs of herbs for garnish.

Serves 8-10 as a side dish.

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Wheat berry salad

 

The trick with hard wheat berries is to plan ahead and soak them overnight. These grains are very hard indeed, and will require a very long cooking time if they’re not pre-soaked.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup wheat berries, soaked overnight
• 1 large ripe mango (can be replaced with oranges or persimmon), cut into cubes
• 3-4 celery stalks, (fibery outer parts peeled) diced
• 10 dates, pitted and finely chopped (can be replaced by another dried fruit) 
• A handful of dry cranberries
• A handful of nuts, such as roasted almonds, candied pecans or walnuts 

Dressing: 

• 1 tablespoon of a fine sweet and interesting marmalade. I use organic Adriatic fig spread (sold at Whole Foods) 
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 sprig of thyme, finely chopped

Preparation:

Cook the wheat berries by covering them with two inches of water, then bring them to a boil, lower the temperature to simmer, and cook until chewy—about 20-30 minutes. Drain and let cool.

Add all other salad ingredients besides the nuts.

Combine dressing ingredients.

Add the nuts and dressing right before serving.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish.

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Black rice with roasted butternut squash

Black rice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups black rice (I use “Forbidden Rice” from Lotus Foods, sold at Whole Foods in small packages) 
• 2 and 1/4 cups water (this does not conform to the package instructions.  I find that using less water results in better flavor and texture)
• 1-2  tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• Optional: chopped fresh parsley or cilantro.

Preparation:

Rinse rice in a strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds

Heat the oil in a medium pot, over medium-high heat 

Stir in the onion and sauté until golden 

Stir in rice and toss around until coated with oil and fragrant

Add salt and water and bring to a boil

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. By the time the water is absorbed the rice should be done

Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or cilantro and serve hot.

Roasted butternut squash

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash, seeded and diced to 1/2’’ cubes
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper 
• Optional: chopped sage.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Toss butternut squash cubes with the rest of the ingredients

Spread the cubes out on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until they are tender and slightly caramelized. This will take 25-35 minutes.

Finishing touches:

You can combine the rice and butternut squash, or (my preference) serve them in a large platter where the rice creates the outer circle, and the squash is placed in the center. I like this presentation visually, and it also allows each diner to choose how much of each of the platter components he wants to eat.

Serves 8-10 as a side dish.

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Roasted French string beans with toasted sesame

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound French string beans, both ends removed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
• A pinch or two of red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F with the oven pan in the oven.

Toss the string beans with the oil and spices.

Spread the beans in one layer on the pre-warmed oven pan.

Bake for 3-5 minutes, until beans become slightly brown and are sizzling, but are still very crunchy and vibrant.

Correct the seasoning by adding salt or pepper.

Serve hot, or at room temperature.

Serves 8-10 as a side dish.
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Pecan yeast “roses” cake

 

Pecan yeast “roses” cake is a perfect indulgence for the close of the Thanksgiving meal and a fresh take on pecan pie.
This isn’t a difficult recipe -- yeast dough is actually easy to work with. The only real challenge is mastering the patience. You’ll have to factor in the rising time the dough needs to fully develop.
The “roses” part of this cake’s name comes from the delicate shapes formed on the individual cakes.

Ingredients:
For basic sweet yeast dough:  

• 3 1/2 cups unbleached flour (I use King Arthur’s bread flour. All-purpose is fine too. Bread flour is a high-gluten flour called for in many bread and pizza crust recipes where you want the loftiness or chewiness that the extra gluten provides. All-purpose flour is made from a blend of high- and low-gluten wheats, and has a bit less protein than bread flour.)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 2 yolks
• 1 envelope rapid-rise yeast 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the pecan filling: 

• 2 cups pecans, finely chopped (in the food processor or blender) 
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup milk

Preparation:

To make the dough:

If you happen to own a bread machine, put all the ingredients in the mixing bowl and use the dough setting.

If kneading by hand: Put all the dough ingredients in a bowl, combine to make dough, and knead for about five minutes, until the dough is soft and elastic and not sticky at all. (Add a bit of extra flour or milk if you haven’t reached a really workable dough within five minutes, but that rarely happens with this recipe.)

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel, and let sit for an hour and a half in a warm place, until the dough doubles its volume.

To make the filling:

Combine milk, sugar and butter in a small pot and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. 
Add the nuts, and continue stirring on low heat for a minute or two.

Remove from heat and let chill completely. (The filling may seem too watery for handling when warm. Don’t worry. Its consistency will improve as it cools down.)

Putting it all together:

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle, about 25 by 20 inches. Don’t be lazy! If you fail to roll it big enough the cake will have fewer leaves and too much dough between the nut layers. Rolling to a thin sheet is really important!

Spread the pecan filling on the dough and roll the dough.

Cut the roll crosswise into 2 inch pieces and place on a greased 10-inch spring pan, cut side up (will make 12-15 rolls).

Let rise again for about one hour.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake in the heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove from oven and let chill on rack.

Serving suggestions:

The cake can be cut to slices (my preference) or separated into its rolls by hand.
This cake pairs very nicely with apple sauce, fresh berries or more simply, a steaming cup of herbal tea.

Serves 14-20

 

 

Banning soda in school isn’t enough

It took the whole village a few decades to create the obesity epidemic.  We slowly allowed the development of a food environment in which junk, fast and highly processed foods became available everywhere and anytime. Marketing and advertising of these food products permeated every real and virtual space making every moment and every deed a consumption occasion.

When we noticed that obesity rates among kids tripled and looked at what kids consumed, it was shocking to see that sugar sweetened beverages contribute about 300 (empty) calories a day to a teen’s diet, making them the single largest source of added sugar.  Indeed, sugary drinks have become a way of life, and their makers make sure fueling stations are densely spread so a kid would never have to go without.

And since so much time is spent at school, where kids are a captive and impressionable audience, school became another sugary drink fueling station.  Vended sugary drinks offered schools a source for much needed funds, and so developed the unholy union between the companies that want to imprint their brand’s image in kids’ minds and the institution that’s trusted to teach kids critical thinking and prepare them for a healthy and productive life.

Does changing the vending machine’s content change kids’ habits?

When the Institute of Medicine called for the removal of all sweetened beverages from schools and the American Academy of Pediatrics advised their elimination, some school districts and states did nothing, some opted to replace soda with lower-sugar options, such as sports drinks and vitamin water, and other cities and states went further and placed all-out bans on sweetened drinks.

A new study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine examines the effect of different policies using data gathered from almost 7000 middle school students from 40 states; 22 of these school districts had no policy governing sales of sugary drinks in middle schools, 11 banned sales of soda only allowing all other sugary drinks, and 7 banned all sugary drinks, including sports drinks and fruit drinks (but not 100% fruit juice).

So how would you expect the kids to respond to the different vending policies?

I think no one would be surprised to hear that in schools that banned only soda, kids bought the other vended sugary beverages instead.  Banning soda did nothing to reduce sugary drink consumption in schools with a partial policy. 

But here’s an even more discouraging result: In schools that banned all sugary drinks kids indeed consumed fewer sugary drinks at school, but their consumption did not decrease overall; kids were able to find sugary drinks out of school, and filled the sugar gap before and after school.

In other words, school vending policies only changed the school environment, and didn’t seem to be enough to change kids’ access and behavior overall.

So are school policies useless?

It will take a village

The study authors, led by Daniel Taber, suggest it would take a comprehensive alteration of kids’ environment to change their sugary drink habits

“Experts have recommended broader policies, such as SSB (sugar-sweetened beverage) taxes or regulations of food marketing aimed at children. Future research should explore the effect that school-based policies have on youth diet and weight gain when implemented in conjunction with policies in other sectors.”

It would be naive to expect that changes at school can result in instant improvement when other sectors aren’t cooperating.

But there’s enormous value in creating a healthy school environment.

Giving a yellow card to kids shouting obscenities on the athletic field doesn’t guarantee the same words won’t be used when refs are out of earshot, but it still does teach kids sportsmanship – this is as much as we should expect from our schools.  Teaching kids good nutrition doesn’t guarantee they’ll eat well given the many unhealthy options all around them, but demonstrating through a school policy that chips and a sports drink aren’t food sends an educational message.   Schools should be parents’ partners in teaching healthy eating habits.  But schools can’t to do it all on their own.

At this point it will take a village to change our habits.

Dr. Ayala

 

Full disclosure: I’m vice president of product development for Herbal Water, where we make organic herb-infused waters that have zero calories and no sugar or artificial ingredients. I’m also a pediatrician and have been promoting good nutrition and healthy lifestyle for many years.

Reposted in Fight Back Fridays.

Ever wondered how low-fat food versions are made?

When a home cook wants to cut fat and sugar from a meal he’ll bake the potatoes rather than deep fry them, choose tomato sauce over a creamy one and serve fresh fruit in place of Crème Brulee for dessert.

But when a food producer is designing a product that he wants to adorn with a “reduced fat”, “fat free” or “low carb” claim, he usually turns to the food chemist for a fix.  Food engineers replace the unwanted ingredient while recreating the same texture, mouth-feel and taste of the original.  Absolute magic.

The cover story titled “Call In The Food Fixers” in last week’s edition of Chemical & Engineering News, the American Chemical Society’s weekly magazine, gives us a glimpse into the science of tricking the tongue (the article was available in full text, but access is now restricted).

“To make sure consumers won’t miss what’s missing, food makers can choose from a long list of texture-improving additives and replacements—from agar to xanthan gum—and they normally choose several. The functional ingredients may come from specialty chemical companies or from firms devoted to food ingredients.”

And since long, complicated, chemical sounding lists of ingredients are falling out of favor:

“Ingredient suppliers are playing a big role in helping customers balance health claims, good taste, and consumers’ desire for “natural” foods.”

Balance is an interesting way to put it.  Does balance mean finding ingredients that are really better for you, or finding a way to stay within the letter of the law, and dress-up chemical processing as innocuous, wholesome goodness?

“Although adding texture to products with reduced fat and sugar is a trend that ingredient makers can count on, consumers who scan labels to ascertain whether a food is “natural” will continue to face an uphill battle. There are no government standards that regulate the use of the words “natural” or “all natural.” Food ingredient lists are not as informative on the subject as some consumers might wish. For example, carboxymethylcellulose normally appears as cellulose gum on food labels. Chemically altered starch is listed as modified, but modified pectin is just listed as pectin.”

I must say, I love the science and ingenuity behind these new inventions.  The article's accompanying images were fascinating, especially the mouth map trained testers use for designing low-fat food, which breaks down food texture to no less than 17 parameters, including ‘slipperiness’, ‘blends with saliva’ and ‘viscosity’.

But do these modifications lead to an improved diet?  Decades of “fat free” and “reduced fat” products, yet the population gains weight.  I don’t know if it’s our mind that sees “fat free” as permission to eat more, our tongue that refuses to be tricked, or our dissatisfaction with fakes that leaves us wanting.

I’d rather eat a really satisfying small piece of the real thing.  It tastes better, and I have no illusions about the source of indulgence.  Yes, I bake with butter. 

Traditionally fatty and full-of-sugar foods are now engineered to be blame-free or better-for-you through a process of replacing fat and sugar with something else.  The fix can often be wickeder than the original.

Dr. Ayala

Reposted as part of Food Renegate's Fight Back Fridays.

Can a genetic test tell if you’re going to become fat?

Simple observation suggests overweight and obesity tend to run in families. The search for genes that affect the tendency to pack on pounds has found a growing list of genes that each contribute to overall risk.  The most famous of these genes is the FTO gene on chromosome 16 – the presence of specific “risky” versions of this gene is correlated with an extra 3 pounds for each risk-increasing copy (we have 2 copies of each gene).

But overweight and obesity are clearly influenced only partly by genetics and we can also explain the tendency for familial overweight by the fact that families often share eating and activity habits. 

It’s also clear that during the past three decades, while obesity rates have tripled, the genetic makeup of the population has not changed dramatically.  Therefore environmental factors (food intake and activity levels) are clearly responsible for this rapid rise in obesity.  The genetic makeup can only take responsibility for making some people more susceptible to these environmental factors.

Genetic testing of obesity

I love the field of human genetics: It uses math, biochemistry, probability and family stories to slowly reveal deep mysteries about who we are.  Studying our genetic makeup also holds enormous medical promise. 

Is genetic testing ripe for primetime? Most people in the field are humbled by the pace of discovery in genetics, and have a feeling we know less than we think we do.   Nevertheless, the growing interest in genetic assessment has already sprouted commercial companies that offer genetic testing directly to consumers.  The future is apparently already here, and these companies suggest not only that they can calculate your risk, but also that knowledge will empower better health decisions.

Since obesity is a really important contributor to disease, one of the risks these companies assess is one’s personal likelihood of developing obesity.  A company called deCODEme tests 11 variants in 11 regions of the genome known to increase an individual’s risk of being obese; 23andMe offers an obesity risk assessment based of 2 genes; all you need to do is spit into a tube (and part with a bit of money).  The results of these genetic screens are given as lifetime risk and relative risk compared to the average person.

Genetically discovering yourself – and then what?

Let’s say we’ve reached the point at which we can really tell who’s at greater risk for obesity, is this data worth knowing?  Would recognizing you’re at risk lead to risk reduction through a better diet, or rather to hopelessness and fatalism?

A new study in the journal Obesity examined the reactions to theoretical results of genetic testing for obesity risk in two groups of British respondents: 306 overweight and obese students, and 395 normal weight students.  The participants received a result that either told them their risk is average or that it’s above average.

In both groups, telling the individual that they were at higher risk for obesity led those people to anticipate they’d be more motivated to adopt a healthier lifestyle.  Again, this is a theoretical study, as no real genetic testing was done.  The study concludes that genetic testing “may offer an opportunity for behavior change if the feeling of “at-risk” can be linked to action by providing concrete information weight gain in conjunction with the test.”

We’re all at high risk

Even without personal genetic testing, I think most of us can estimate whether our risk for developing obesity is at or above par.  A quick survey of the genetic pool during family reunions, an honest look at one’s eating habits and at personal weight trend over time are quite informative.

Perhaps genetic testing can make the assessment just a tad more informed, but does it really make sense to assign risk for a condition that is so very common? Or does the knowledge, that in all western countries the majority of people develop overweight and obesity tell us all we need to know?

The best-case scenario – the result of “you’re at average risk for obesity” – predicts that there’s a pretty reasonable chance you might become obese.  The last few decades have proven that we all have a tendency to overeat when food is plentiful, tempting and calorically dense, we all tend to store the extras – a tendency that served our ancestors very well – and given the chance, we prefer watching TV to chopping wood.

And if knowing we’re at-risk may offer an opportunity for behavior change let’s announce it right now: We’re all at risk for obesity, each and every one of us, some even more than others.  So let’s all do something about it.

Dr. Ayala