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Consumer DNA-testing giant 23andMe Inc. plans to add new wellness offerings it hopes will help its customers shed a few pounds, but some genetics experts say the jury is still out on the science behind the products.
On Tuesday, the Mountain View, California-based company announced a partnership with Lark Health, an artificial-intelligence coaching service that delivers personalized advice for weight loss and diabetes prevention via an app. Lark will allow customers to incorporate weight-related genetic data from 23andMe into its service.
“This was born from our desire to get our customers to do more with their genetics,’’ said Emily Drabant-Conley, vice president of business development at 23andMe.
The move will put 23andMe in a crowded -- and oft-criticized -- marketplace of companies that use DNA analysis to give personalized advice on wellness or family history. Believers herald the coming of a personalized-health revolution; critics contend that such tools haven’t yet been shown to provide something truly useful.
“The idea is good, but without the proof of peer-reviewed publications with prospective study, we have no knowledge whether these algorithms have any...