Although some of us carry a 'fat gene', it's not to blame if the scales aren't moving. (Image: iStock)

Why 'the fat gene' has no impact on healthy eating and exercise.

We now know that some people have a genetic predisposition to being heavier – but when it comes to sweating off the kilos, it turns out that everybody's on the same level.

New research from Newcastle University has discovered that despite some people carrying "the obesity gene", their ability to lose weight with diet and exercise is just the same as everyone else.

The role the obesity gene – otherwise known as the FTO gene – plays in how much body fat you carry is controversial.

Previous studies have shown that people who carry one or two copies of the gene are likely to be up to 3 kilograms heavier than those who don't. It may seem like a marginal amount, but in population studies with thousands and thousands of participants, these small kilos can add up.

Professor John Mathers, who led the study, believes that this new finding conclusively proves what we've long known to be true: you really can’t beat healthy eating and exercise when it comes to weight loss.

"You can no longer blame your genes," said Professor Mathers.

"Our study shows that improving your diet and being more physically active will help you lose weight, regardless of your genetic makeup."

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To reach this conclusion, the researchers performed a meta-analysis of 9,563 adults who were enrolled in a variety of weight loss trials around the world. Each of the adults had been tested to see if they did – or didn't – carry the FTO gene that pre-disposed them to a higher risk of obesity.

What the researchers found was that the old one-two punch of diet and exercise worked for everybody, no matter what their genetic profile was.

For Professor Mathers, it may sound like a 'duh' moment, but the finding could have dramatic effects on what doctors prescribe to overweight patients.

"This is important news for people trying to lose weight as it means that diet, physical activity or drug-based weight loss plans will work just as well in those who carry the risk version of FTO," said Mathers.

"For public health professionals, it means that the adverse effects of the FTO genotype on weight gain are not an impediment to weight loss interventions."

Here in Australia, it’s estimated that almost two in three people over the age of 18-years-old are overweight. This equates to more than 60 percent of the population carrying more weight than they should, down to a complex variety of environmental and societal factors.

Obesity (and the bodily risks associated with it) is currently the second leading cause of chronic disease in the country, just ahead of smoking.