from: http://www.ast-ss.com/research/cribb/research_reviews/rr_full_text.asp?rrID=468

Stubborn fat loss could be in the genes

by Paul Cribb, B.H.Sci HMS
AST Director of Research

I don’t know anyone who finds it easy to shed body fat, but for some it may be even harder than others. New research from Tufts University indicates that a person’s ability to lose body fat on a calorie-controlled diet may be related to their genes.

The researchers monitored a group of overweight participants for one year and identified a variant in the perilipin gene PLIN 11482. This gene controls the production of a protein called perilipin, which regulates the release of fat from cells. However, those people that carry a minor A-allele - a polymorphism of the perilipin gene, may be resistant to weight loss through calorie restriction.

The researchers concluded that the carriers of the minor A allele variant were resistant to weight loss, and this polymorphism could predict whether or not weight-loss strategies based on low-energy diets were likely to work. This brings us a step closer to designing our diet and exercise programs based on our genetic make-up.

Source: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 90; 5121-5126, 2005.
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