’Genes are not destiny’ when it comes to weight

A healthy home environment could help offset children's genetic susceptibilities to obesity, according to new research led by UCL. The study, published this week in JAMA Pediatrics , found that the impact of genetic factors on weight is roughly halved if a child is bought up in a less 'obesogenic' home environment where healthy eating and exercise is more prevalent. Researchers collected data on Body Mass Index (BMI) and home environments from 925 twin pairs in the British Gemini cohort. The twins' families were asked in detail about many aspects of their home diet, physical activity, and media environments, such as the amount of healthy food in the home, how about how many media devices there were in the home and family media viewing habits. was used to create a score for each home that indicated if it was a 'high-risk' or 'low-risk' environment for obesity. Of the 925 twin pairs, 508 were living in healthier, 'low-risk' home environments and 417 were living in less healthy 'high-risk' home environments. "Our study is the first to examine how the early home environment relates to a child's genetic susceptibility to being overweight, even though it is widely believed to be a key influence on weight," said first author, Dr Stephanie Schrempft (UCL Behavioural Science and Health).