Some people feel no matter how hard they try to lose weight, a greater genetic force impedes them. It’s easy to understand why people place the responsibility on their genetic makeup for challenges with weight, but genes are just one factor that determine how you look.

Scientists have uncovered a gene responsible for common obesity identified as ‘the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO)’. In uncovering this gene, genetic scientists rapidly scan DNA from many different research participants looking for patterns in its makeup. FTO a common variant and those who possess the gene are 20-30% more likely to be obese.Many more genes linked to obesity have been identified in recent years, the majority of which impact body weight on a miniscule level.

How can we stop blaming our genes and make a change? By personalising our diet. Personalised nutrition is a movement of analysing our genetic profile and feeding ourselves in accordance to particular personal traits; intolerance to lactose products being an example of these types of traits. Unfortunately science is lacking information to successfully prescribe and exemplify a personalised nutrition plan.

However, we do know that both lifestyle – diet, exercise, sleep – and environment are key to a healthy body weight. Rather than focusing on what we don’t know, keeping it simple and actively engaging with what we do know stimulates change, is the way forward. A PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) works wonders! Believing you can produces results. This is more ‘scientifically’ referred to as a ‘growth mindset’.

A ‘Growth Mindset’ views our abilities and talents as something that can be improved, and our shortcomings as learning opportunities we can use to pivot. It’s like they say, progress is impossible without change.