A study that found that people's genes can determine whether they will lose weight on a low-fat or low-carb diet has made a splash. "Knowing your genotype for low-carb or low-fat diets could help you increase your weight-loss success," Stanford University's Christopher Gardner, a co-author of the study, told the Wall Street Journal. Interleukin, the sponsor of the study and the developer of the test, sells it for $149.
NPR's Shots blog, however, "wanted a second opinion." The University of Maryland's Nanette Steinle says the test is promising but is in its early days."I think it's hopeful that we've uncovered additional understanding of why some people respond to a particular diet better than others, but we're not at a point today to start implementing this in practice," she says, adding that the study had a small sample size — 138 women. Gardner agrees and tells NPR he is planning a larger study.