How Your Genetics Can Impact Weight Loss

We all know someone who can eat greasy cheeseburgers, ice cream, and other unhealthy foods and never gain a pound. Meanwhile, others seem to gain weight even when they’re not eating at all. And it begs the question: Why do some stay slim with ease while others have to work so hard to keep weight off? 

The answer is supposedly simple: Burn more calories than you consume. However, genetics combined with your environment can impact how you consume, store, and burn calories, making it easy or hard to lose weight. 

So, if you’re having difficulty losing weight and keeping it off, could your genetics be the culprit? 

At Ayewah Aesthetics in the Midtown West Neighborhood of New York City, New York, Martha Ayewah, DO, leads our team in offering medical weight loss to assist you in shedding those extra pounds that tend to stick around. 

This month’s blog explores how genetics affect weight loss and gain and how medical weight loss can help.

Genetics and weight

Over the years, research indicates more than 400 genes play a role in your risk for obesity. However, it’s important to note that only a few heavily contribute to this risk. Genes that increase your likelihood of being overweight or obese include ones that affect your appetite, your ability to feel full (satiety), metabolism, and body-fat distribution. 

The severity of these genetics in your risk for obesity varies from person to person. For some people, genetics only affect them 25%, but for others, it can be up to 80% influential. So, how do you know if genetics are behind your struggle to lose and keep off weight? 

If you’ve been overweight for most of your life, you have close blood relatives who are also obese or overweight, or you can’t lose weight even with a low-calorie diet and vigorous exercise, genetics might be impacting your weight loss journey.

Overcoming genetics to lose weight

Thankfully, you can still overcome genetics. Just because you’re predisposed to being overweight or obese doesn’t mean that you’ll never lose weight. Lifestyle also plays a role in weight loss, so eating fewer calories and burning extra calories through exercise are still essential habits to keep up. 

However, at Ayewah Aesthetics, we also offer medical weight loss programs to give you a leg up when genetics are holding you back from losing as much weight as you’d like. 

Understanding medical weight loss

At Ayewah Aesthetics, a few prescription weight loss drugs are available, including semaglutide (Ozempic®) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro®). 

Semaglutide is an injection that mimics a hormone that stimulates insulin production. The medication can lower your appetite and help you feel full faster and longer, streamlining your weight loss. Tirzepatide works very similarly to semaglutide by regulating insulin production and dampening appetite.

If you’re having difficulty losing weight even with a calorie deficit and regular exercise, these weight loss drugs could be just what you need to achieve your weight loss goals.

To schedule a consultation to see if medical weight loss is a good fit for you, contact our team by phone or online today.