How dietary restraint could significantly reduce effects of genetic risk of obesity

New research from the University of Exeter, Exeter Clinical Research Facility, and the University of Bristol reveals that obesity risk genes can heighten feelings of hunger and lack of control overeating. However, the study suggests that practicing dietary restraint, such as both flexible strategies (conscious eating and smaller servings) and rigid approaches (calorie counting), can mitigate the effects of these genes by up to half. The research, conducted on 3,780 adults from two UK cohorts, found that high genetic risk scores were associated with higher BMI due to increased disinhibition and hunger. By understanding these gene influences, restraint-based interventions could be developed to address obesity risk in genetically susceptible individuals.