The Inner Monologue

Oh, great. Another day, another excuse to blame your genes for those extra pounds. “It’s not my fault—my DNA made me do it!” Sure, Jan. But before you resign yourself to a lifetime of elastic waistbands, let’s talk science—actual science, not Instagram wellness gurus selling celery juice as a genetic override.

1. Your Genes Are (Partly) to Blame—But Not as Much as You Think

Yes, your DNA plays a role in your BMI. A 2012 meta-analysis (Elks et al., PLoS Genetics) found that genetics account for 40–70% of BMI variation. That’s a big range because, shockingly, humans are complicated. Some of us hit the genetic jackpot (thanks, Mom and Dad), while others… well, let’s just say evolution has a sense of humor.

But before you throw your hands up and declare exercise useless, remember: 40–70% ≠ 100%. That leaves a whole lot of room for lifestyle choices to mess things up—or fix them.

2. Exercise Can Actually Shut Up Your Fat Genes

Turns out, your workout routine isn’t just for Instagram bragging rights. A 2011 study (Kilpeläinen et al., PLoS Medicine) found that physical activity reduces the effect of the dreaded FTO “obesity gene” by about 30%. That’s right—moving your butt literally mutes the genetic voice in your head whispering “eat the whole pizza.”

So no, your DNA isn’t destiny. It’s more like a really annoying backseat driver. You can still steer.

3. Exercise Alone Won’t Save Your Butt (But It’s Still a Hero)

Before you start celebrating with a post-workout milkshake (we see you), let’s be real. A 2014 review (Swift et al., Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases) confirmed what we all secretly know: Exercise alone is kinda meh for weight loss. Yeah, yeah, fitness influencers will scream otherwise, but science says pairing exercise with not eating like a raccoon at a dumpster is the real MVP.

That said, exercise is clutch for keeping weight off long-term and preventing your metabolism from staging a full-blown mutiny as you age. So keep moving—just maybe skip the “I earned this pint of ice cream” mentality.

The Bottom Line

• Genes load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.
• Exercise won’t cancel out a terrible diet, but it can slap down genetic risk.
• Stop using “bad genetics” as an excuse. You’re not a helpless meat puppet controlled by your DNA.

Now go take a walk. Or don’t. Your genes might influence the choice, but they don’t make it.

(Need more ammo against genetic fatalism? Hit us up. We’ve got studies on tap.)

References (Because We’re Not TikTok):

• Elks et al. (2012) PLoS Genetics [DOI:10.1371/journal.pgen.1002761]
• Kilpeläinen et al. (2011) PLoS Medicine [DOI:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001116]
• Swift et al. (2014) Prog Cardiovasc Dis [DOI:10.1016/j.pcad.2014.01.002]

(Mic drop.) 🎤