The Weight of Genetic Information
A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald revealed that 15 Australian pharmacies are offering weight loss programs that test customers’ carbohydrate and lipid metabolizing genes to produce "a personally-optimised eating plan and weight loss program.'' MyGene, the "all Australian" company responsible for this product, says it wants to help Australians lead "healthier, happier and more productive lives by knowing their individual genetic profile and having the information and tools to make the best health and lifestyle choices for their unique needs." Consider me a skeptic.
The weight loss program’s $1600 price tag buys an analysis of metabolic genes followed by nine sessions with a pharmacy dietician. Its rhetoric comes close to promising something like a magic bullet, one that will allow you to eat more calories than we burn off — say, "your carbohydrate metabolism is fantastic so mountains of hot toast with jam is fine, but given your sluggish lipid metabolism, steer clear of margarine."
On the other hand, any consultations with a qualified dietician are likely to benefit those seeking to lose weight, so perhaps these genetic weight loss programs are not so bad. Additionally, placebo effects stemming from the genetic mystique could improve results even further. After all, far more harmful weight loss products with a lower likelihood of success have been on the market in the past and likely will be again in the future.
So what continues to rankle? Here are some concerns:
- The TGA (for you Americans, roughly the Australian equivalent to the FDA) has taken a hands-off approach, and decided that MyGene’s program does not need to be registered as a therapeutic product, leaving it outside the regulatory system for weight loss devices.
- The involvement of pharmacists, who enjoy high levels of public trust (see, for example, the 2011 Roy Morgan Image of Professions Survey), is troubling. Most have little to no genetic education, suggesting that they are doing more work for the weight loss companies than for patients. This is risky in an area as complex as weight retention.
- Using genetic gimmicks preys upon overweight people’s vulnerability in a society in which attractiveness (common translation: slenderness) is so important that some jurisdictions have legislated against discriminatory treatment based on looks.
Some may claim that the whole controversy is overblown and that market forces are the right tool to determine MyGene’s success or failure. But it seems to me that anyone seeking weight loss or a healthier lifestyle would be better off putting their $1,600 towards a membership at Jenny Craig.
Previously on Biopolitical Times: