Do these genes make me look fat?
Jim kicks things off with his latest scientific discovery made while consuming an entire bag of Cool Ranch Doritos 🧬 - a New York Times article that promises to explain why he's fat (spoiler alert: it's complicated).
Our resident genetics expert Shelley Cummings leads us through the fascinating world of polygenic risk scores, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and why your ancestors might have doomed you to a lifetime of struggling with your jeans (and genes).
Join us as we explore:
The difference between "fat genes" and genetic risk factors - it's not as simple as having "the obesity gene" 🧬
Why lifestyle interventions work differently for different people - those thermostat analogies hit different when genetics are involved 🌡️
The ethics of genetic testing - do you really want to know if you're predisposed to Alzheimer's? (Spoiler: our hosts are split) 🤔
Why these studies work better for some ancestries than others - hint: science has a diversity problem 🔬
Plus, we dig into whether knowing your genetic destiny early could help you intervene, or just make you obsess over every dessert for the rest of your life. Peggy makes the compelling case for blissful ignorance, while Jim argues for radical transparency about your biological fate.
Warning: This episode contains extensive discussion of Jim's weight management philosophy 📊, multiple Virgin River references (Huntington's disease edition), and a surprisingly deep dive into whether we'd rather die in our sleep or have time to say goodbye 💭.
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Listen wherever you get your podcasts ... #PodcastLife #GeneticsNerd #PolygenicRisk #SNP #TheWoods #MultiFactorial
