People often talk about having “good” or “bad” genes, and there’s little doubt that some people are more predisposed to be overweight than others. Yet studies of identical twins show that often times, one twin is able to maintain a healthy weight while the other becomes obese–despite the fact that their DNA is the exact same.
A big part of the reason? Diet. A new study in FASEB Journal reveals that a high-fat, high-sugar diet appears to activate genes that contribute to weight gain. Researchers found that fatty, sugary foods stimulate a gene called the kappa opioid receptor–and when that receptor is stimulated, the body holds on to more fat than it normally would.
Translation? Junk food is doubly bad for you: not only is it high in calories (meaning you’re more likely to consume more calories than you can burn off, leading to weight gain) it also tells your body not to shed the extra pounds that you end up putting on.
Does that mean you should steer entirely clear of fries and soda? Sure, if you’re able to, more power to you. But for the rest of us, it’s simply proof that going easy on junk food has even bigger rewards than we once realized.
–Camille
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Camille