Researchers Show Diet Works Even for People With High Genetic Obesity Risk - Video

Your genes may raise your risk of obesity-but they don't have to stop you from losing weight. A new randomized controlled trial published in Nature Communications found that people with a high genetic risk for obesity lost just as much weight through a healthy diet as those with a low genetic risk.

Researchers conducted the GENEROOS trial, which included 223 overweight or mildly obese adults without diabetes. Participants were selected from the highest and lowest 5% of genetic risk for obesity based on a polygenic score, a measure that combines thousands of genetic variants linked to body weight.

Although people with a high genetic risk started the study with a significantly higher average BMI, they responded just as well to a structured six-month dietary program. Those who received personalized nutritional coaching reduced their BMI by an average of 1.51 kg/m², while the control group, which received no dietary coaching, showed almost no change.

Importantly, researchers found no evidence that genetic risk affected the amount of weight lost.

The study also found additional health benefits. Participants in the dietary intervention experienced greater reductions in total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol, while improvements in blood sugar and other metabolic markers were less consistent. Researchers also observed that people who regularly logged their meals and physical activity tended to achieve slightly better weight-loss results.

However, the authors caution that the study included mostly women, lasted only six months, and involved adults without diabetes, so the findings may not apply to everyone. Larger and more diverse studies are still needed.

Overall, the results offer an encouraging message: genetics may influence your starting point, but they do not determine your ability to lose weight through healthy eating. Lifestyle changes remain an effective first-line strategy for weight management, regardless of inherited obesity risk.

REFERENCE: Rodosthenous, R.S., Viiri, L.E., Carson, A.M. et al. (2026). Dietary intervention and BMI reduction in individuals at the extremes of genetic predisposition to higher BMI: a randomized controlled trial. Nature Communications. DOI: https:// doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-75224-0