Abstract
ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that adding obesity gene feedback (FTO) to simple weight control advice at a life stage with raised risk of weight gain (university) increases readiness to control weight.MethodsIndividually randomized controlled trial comparing the effect of: (i) simple weight control advice plus FTO feedback (FA) and (ii) simple weight control advice only (AO) on readiness to engage with weight control. Differences in stage of change by genotype and differential weight control behaviors were secondary outcomes.ResultsOf 1,016 participants randomized, only 279 completed follow-up, yielding 90% power to detect a small effect for readiness to control weight. As predicted, FA participants were more likely to be in the contemplation stage than AO participants (P = 0.023). Participants receiving higher-risk genetic results were at a higher stage of change than controls (P = 0.003), with a trend toward a higher stage of change than those getting lower-risk results (P = 0.051). Lower-risk results did not decrease weight control intentions compared with controls (P = 0.55). There were no group differences in adherence to recommended weight control behaviors (P = 0.87).ConclusionsAdding FTO feedback to weight control advice enhanced readiness to control weight, without evidence for genetic determinism, but had no more effect on behavior than weight control advice alone.
Highlights
This study provides evidence that FTO genetic test feedback can successfully increase readiness to control weight in a young, healthy population in a situation with established risk of weight gain, but it found no evidence that it impacted actual behavior
It did not lessen weight control intentions or behaviors, suggesting that concerns about genetic determinism leading to disengagement from behavior change following obesity genetic testing may be unfounded.O
Despite high drop-out rates, it is one of the first trials to be powered to detect an effect of genetic test feedback on the outcome of interest
Summary
The design was a single-center, open, two-arm, parallel group, individually randomized (1:1 ratio) controlled trial comparing the effect of weight control advice plus genetic test feedback (FA) with advice only (AO), on readiness to control weight (Figure 1). Ethical approval was granted by the University College London Research Ethics Committee for non-NHS research in September 2010 (Application no: 2471/003). University College London (UCL) enrolls over 14,000 new undergraduates each year (mean age at enrolment: 22.8 years, 49% male, 40% international students; http://www.ucl.ac.uk/srs/statistics). Participants were recruited using email advertisements in the first 2 weeks of the first term (late September) of three consecutive academic years (2010-2013). The study ran over the course of the academic year, with follow-up one month after the intervention group received the genetic test result (February). Recruitment ended once the target number of participants was reached
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