Can genetic-based advice help you lose weight? Findings from the Food4Me European randomized controlled trial

Celis-Morales, C. et al. (2017) Can genetic-based advice help you lose weight? Findings from the Food4Me European randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 105(5), pp. 1204-1213. (doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.145680) (PMID:28381478)

Abstract

Background: There has been limited evidence about whether genotype-tailored advice provides extra benefits in reducing obesity-related traits compared with the benefits of conventional one-size-fits-all advice. Objective: We determined whether the disclosure of information on fat-mass and obesity-associated (FTO) genotype risk had a greater effect on a reduction of obesity-related traits in risk carriers than in nonrisk carriers across different levels of personalized nutrition. Design: A total of 683 participants (women: 51%; age range: 18–73 y) from the Food4Me randomized controlled trial were included in this analysis. Participants were randomly assigned to 4 intervention arms as follows: level 0, control group; level 1, dietary group; level 2, phenotype group; and level 3, genetic group. FTO (single nucleotide polymorphism rs9939609) was genotyped at baseline in all participants, but only subjects who were randomly assigned to level 3 were informed about their genotypes. Level 3 participants were stratified into risk carriers (AA/AT) and nonrisk carriers (TT) of the FTO gene for analyses. Height, weight, and waist circumference (WC) were self-measured and reported at baseline and months 3 and 6. Results: Changes in adiposity markers were greater in participants who were informed that they carried the FTO risk allele (level 3 AT/AA carriers) than in the nonpersonalized group (level 0) but not in the other personalized groups (level 1 and 2). Mean reductions in weight and WC at month 6 were greater for FTO risk carriers than for noncarriers in the level 3 group [−2.28 kg (95% CI: −3.06, −1.48 kg) compared with −1.99 kg (−2.19, −0.19 kg), respectively (P = 0.037); and −4.34 cm (−5.63, −3.08 cm) compared with −1.99 cm (−4.04, −0.05 cm), respectively, (P = 0.048)]. Conclusions: There are greater body weight and WC reductions in risk carriers than in nonrisk carriers of the FTO gene. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01530139.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Celis, Dr Carlos
• Authors: Celis-Morales, C., Marsaux, C. F.M., Livingstone, K. M., Navas-Carretero, S., San-Cristobal, R., Fallaize, R., Macready, A. L., O’Donovan, C., Woolhead, C., Forster, H., Kolossa, S., Daniel, H., Moschonis, G., Mavrogianni, C., Manios, Y., Surwillo, A., Traczyk, I., Drevon, C. A., Grimaldi, K., Bouwman, J., Gibney, M. J., Walsh, M. C., Gibney, E. R., Brennan, L., Lovegrove, J. A., Martinez, J. A., Saris, W. H.M., and Mathers, J. C.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health
• Journal Name: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Publisher: American Society for Nutrition
• ISSN: 0002-9165
• ISSN (Online): 1938-3207
• Published Online: 05 April 2017
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 American Society for Nutrition
• First Published: First published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 105(5):1204-1213
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher