DNA Diet the Future of Weight Loss? Facts You Need to Know

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For those who are ever-frustrated with weight loss plans and diets, there might be new hope in "DNA Diet." Here are some things you need to know.

Genome-specific diets could be an available alternative for people who want to lose weight in 2020, according to National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers.

The study published online in the journal Obesity, the researchers call the method as precision weight loss. It involves understanding the connection of genes and obesity and giving diet and workout regimens that are personalized according to a person's unique DNA structure.

"I think within five years, we'll see people start to use a combination of genetic, behavioral and other sophisticated data to develop individualized weight management plans," said lead author Molly Bray, a scientist from the University of Texas, as reported by Fox News.

For their research, they analyzed genetic tests and data on weight fluctuations and genomic research in order to find the link between obesity and genes. They have identified several genes linked to obesity but were unsure how each one affects the body.

"Although a genetic basis for obesity and body composition has been well established, family and twin studies also provide evidence that a person's genetic makeup plays a role in response to weight loss or gain," they wrote in the journal. "By taking into account the influence of genetic variation on these disease processes, precision medicine in behavioral weight loss may present several new avenues to tackle the obesity epidemic."

However, the researchers note that DNA diet will not cause a person to automatically lose weight. Exercise still plays an important part in keeping trim. Popular Science notes that epigenetics, microbiome, colonies of microorganisms that live in our body, environmental factors and such are some of the factors that can influence obesity aside from genes. The website notes that only a small percentage of people who have successfully lost weight due to medication, diet or exercise are able to keep the weight off.

The scientists also said that they are still on the verge of understanding gain weight from a behavioral and biological standpoint so long term weight loss through DNA Diet could not be possible at the moment.

"We've made great strides in our understanding of what drives eating behavior, how fat cells are formed and how metabolism is altered before and after the onset of obesity," Bray said in a press release. "The time is ripe to take this wealth of data and find ways to utilize it more effectively to treat people in need."