Will Personalized Nutrition work?
- Zoe Lim
- Jul 11, 2021
- 2 min read
"The fact that lifestyle-related health problems continue to rise despite the best intentions of consumers to reverse these trends, show that current methods to addressing health are ultimately unsuccessful. "
"This means that consumers will continue to look for the next innovation to help address wellbeing, especially many feel that Covid-19 will continue to influence lives for many to come."
I personally don't agree with these statements found in the article. Before I share more, let me give you some context.
The idea behind Personalized Nutrition is not new. It is essentially customizing one's diet based on your blood type, body type, ethnicity etc. Personalized Nutrition takes it further by using the data from nutrition genetic testing as a basis for their dietary recommendations. This is also not an unfamiliar concept as 39% of the 1000 participants across 26 countries interviewed were aware of such services. However, only 11% of them went on to find out more about its viability. Supporters appreciate having such information so that they can reduce their risk of disease and illness and also be mindful to avoid food and situations that they are more vulnerable to.
On the flipside, other than the confidentiality of such information, some also argue that knowing too much can be crippling. Just imagine the anxiety of knowing that you have a problem that you cannot do anything about! Ironically, having to anticipate a possible illness based on a single test report is furthest from the state of wellness.
The multi-million dollar profit churning industry of personalized nutrition, fat burning supplements, weight-loss powders, special massage guns, slimming belts and corsets is booming. They provide hope for those in the pursuit of better physique and overall health, albeit expensive.
Unfortunately, without a paradigm shift and prioritizing a healthy lifestyle, these tools are neither sustainable nor effective. They can never replace the theory of physics and thermodynamics. Sustained fat loss can only happen with sufficient energy output and calorie deficit. This means staying active, eating mindfully and getting sufficient good quality sleep. This takes time, effort and lots of self-discipline. Therefore, "consumers who are constantly looking for the next innovation" are not "looking" in the right direction. Fundamentally, no innovation can replace self-discipline.
Would you take a nutrition genetic test?
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