Gene-based diet: what our study shows and how to put it in context

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 15 October 2026 · Reading time: 9 min

In short

A gene-based diet aligns the plan with the tendencies a weight analysis reveals: carbohydrate or fat type, fat sensitivity, satiety, exercise or calorie reduction and muscle preservation. In an internal Novogenia study with 302 people, participants on a gene-based diet lost around 2.4 times more weight than on a standard diet. That is a study result, not a promise for any individual, and it concerns a diet, not a food supplement. Independent studies round out the picture: people with a gene-based plan more often maintained their weight loss and followed their recommendations better. Success comes from the plan, its implementation and coaching together.

Tailored suit instead of off the rack

Most diets are off the rack: one cut for everyone. Anyone who does not fit is quickly labeled undisciplined. A gene-based diet works more like a tailored suit. It takes its measurements from the genes and cuts the plan to fit the body. Sounds good – but does it actually make a difference? That is exactly what we set out to study at Novogenia.

In an internal Novogenia study with 302 people, participants on a gene-based diet lost around 2.4 times more weight than on a standard diet (our scientific approach). For everyone who supports people in losing weight, that is an encouraging figure: a plan that fits the genes can achieve a lot. In this article, you will learn what is behind the study, how to put it in context and what independent studies add.

What “gene-based” means in practice

Gene-based does not mean that genes dictate the diet. It means the plan starts where the genes suggest the biggest lever lies. Our page on the scientific approach gives two typical examples. Someone who carries genes that increase fat sensitivity with regard to body weight gets the logical recommendation to reduce the fat content of their diet. Someone who carries gene variations that make weight loss through exercise more effective gets the logical recommendation to exercise more.

The topics of the weight analysis thus translate into the adjustable elements of a gene-based plan:

Diet type: a focus on fewer carbohydrates, less fat or a balanced mix.
Fat sensitivity: the amount and quality of fats – not zero fat, but the right dose.
Hunger and satiety: structure instead of willpower, with filling meals and regular mealtimes.
Exercise or calorie reduction: more weight on the lever that works more easily for the client.
Muscle preservation: enough protein and strength training built firmly into the plan.
Yo-yo effect: a moderate, sustainable deficit instead of a crash diet.

What lies behind each topic is explained in Metabolism: carbs, fats, protein. Important: these recommendations are logical conclusions from the genetic profile, not scientifically proven. That is exactly why every gene-based plan should be checked against measurements and everyday life after a few weeks.

Our study: what it shows and how we put it in context

The study is one of the internal experiments we use to test how well our programs work. Novogenia does not sell directly to consumers but to partners who use our programs as tools – for example, to support people in losing weight. So these programs have to work in everyday life. That is why we collect feedback on their effectiveness and keep improving the analysis.

Honesty also means saying this: critics consider studies that a company runs on its own program to be biased. Our page on the scientific approach itself calls this objection a critical point that should not be ignored. We strive to work in a scientifically correct and neutral way – and that is why we always identify the study as internal.

Three things you should know about the study:

It concerns a diet, not a food supplement. Never link the figure to a product.
It is a study result, not a promise for any individual. How much a person loses depends on many factors – not least on how the plan is put into practice.
It is quoted word for word. Use the sentence exactly as above, identify the study as internal and link to the page on our scientific approach. There are no further figures from the study to quote; weight figures or phrases like “clinically proven” are off limits.

What independent studies add

Researchers outside Novogenia have also studied whether genes can improve a nutrition plan. One encouraging result comes from a weight-management clinic: 50 people with a history of failed weight-loss attempts received a genetic test covering 24 variants in 19 genes and a calorie-controlled nutrition plan tailored to it. They were compared with 43 people from the same clinic who had been matched by age, sex, frequency of visits and BMI but did not receive a genetic test. After more than 300 days, 73% of the gene-based group had maintained some of their weight loss – compared with 32% in the comparison group. The authors also report better compliance (Arkadianos et al., Nutrition Journal, 2007).

Two more studies with encouraging results are presented in detail in Weight management and genes: the European Food4Me study on the FTO gene and the NOW trial, in which participants who received gene-based advice cut their fat intake more over the long term and followed the recommendations better.

And a small study from the US shows what really matters. Among 51 veterans with overweight, the group on a gene-guided diet did not lose more weight on average than the group on a balanced standard diet; both groups found it hard to stick to their plan. But the more consistently participants followed their gene-guided plan, the more weight they lost. For the standard diet, no such link could be shown (Frankwich et al., Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2015).

What this means in practice: a gene-based plan unfolds its power when it is put into practice. Your coaching is therefore not an add-on but the engine – more on this in Coaching and motivation: staying on track. And because every person is different, it pays to take stock together after a few weeks: what works stays; what does not fit gets adjusted.

Why a plan that fits is easier to stick with

Why should a plan that fits the genes work better? Three logical reasons can be derived:

A personal reason: “Eat less fat” is one piece of advice among many. “Eat less fat because your body stores fat particularly easily” is a reason. Personal reasons make recommendations tangible.
Less fighting against your own body: a diet that ignores your diet type can mean fighting your own metabolism. A plan that fits starts with a tailwind.
Less guilt: people who understand that earlier diets may also have failed because of biology start with fresh courage instead of self-blame.

How genetic results can boost motivation, and which studies show this, is covered in Weight management and genes.

How to talk about the study

The figure from the internal study is strong – which makes it all the more important how you use it. In a counseling session, you can frame it like this: “In an internal Novogenia study with 302 people, participants on a gene-based diet lost around 2.4 times more weight than on a standard diet. That is a study result, not a promise. How it goes for you is something we will find out together.”

Not like this	Why	Better
“With the gene diet, you will lose 2.4 times more weight.”	turns a study result into a personal promise	the sentence word for word, identified as an internal study, with the note “not a promise”
“Slim in four weeks – with your genes.”	claims about the rate or amount of weight loss are not allowed	“A plan that fits your genes – and coaching that keeps you going.”
“Our capsules boost the effect of the gene diet.”	the study concerns a diet, not a food supplement	supplements only with authorized claims, kept separate from the study
“Clinically proven.”	the study is internal; the recommendations are logical conclusions	“internal study” with a link to the page on our scientific approach

Advertising calls for particular care. In the EU, health claims that refer to the rate or amount of weight loss are not allowed (Art. 12(b) Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006), and the same applies in Switzerland (Art. 34(4)(b) LIV). Our page on the scientific approach also considers advertising with claims about the effectiveness of such programs critical and, in many cases, prohibited. What is allowed is covered in Advertising weight loss: what is allowed; how to include supplements correctly, in Supplements in weight programs.

And your own results? Measure them – weight, waist circumference, food diary, how your clients feel – and use them to improve your program. How to evaluate a pilot group without turning it into promises of pounds lost is described in Launch: pilot and offer.

How we do it at Novogenia

How we handle the study and gene-based diets at Novogenia:

Internal study: in an internal Novogenia study with 302 people, participants on a gene-based diet lost around 2.4 times more weight than on a standard diet (our scientific approach).
Open framing: we always identify the study as internal. Our page on the scientific approach also openly addresses the objection to company-run studies.
Diet, not supplements: the study concerns a diet. We never link its result to a product.
Weight analysis: a lifestyle analysis with lab analysis in 4 days, a color-coded report in up to 18 languages and recommendations that are logical conclusions.
Feedback: we collect feedback on how well our programs work and keep improving the analysis.
Go deeper: the episode “The Gene Diet” in our podcast and the “The Gene-Diet” module of the NOVO Academy.

Frequently asked questions

What is Novogenia’s internal study?

In an internal Novogenia study with 302 people, participants on a gene-based diet lost around 2.4 times more weight than on a standard diet. The study is one of the internal experiments Novogenia uses to test how well its programs work. How we put it in context is described on our page on the scientific approach.

Can I use the 2.4 times figure in my advertising?

Not as a promise. Health claims that refer to the rate or amount of weight loss are not allowed in the EU or in Switzerland, and our own page on the scientific approach also considers advertising with claims about the effectiveness of such programs critical and, in many cases, prohibited. In a counseling session, you can cite the study in its exact wording and identify it as internal. When in doubt, have your advertising copy checked by a lawyer.

Does the result also apply to supplements?

No. The study concerns a gene-based diet compared with a standard diet, not a food supplement. Never link the figure to a product.

How much weight do people lose on a gene-based diet?

There is no figure that applies to any individual. How much a person loses depends on many factors, not least on how consistently they follow the plan and how well they are supported. The result of the internal study is a study result, not a promise.

Does the genetic analysis predict which diet works best?

It shows tendencies from which logical conclusions for the plan can be drawn – a well-founded starting point. Whether the plan holds up in everyday life becomes clear from measurements and experience after a few weeks. Then you adjust it together.

A weight program with genetic analysis?

Tell us about your offer and your clients – we will show you how the genetic analysis complements your program.

Request a project →Lifestyle analyses

Note: This guide is general information for businesses and professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. The genetic traits determined in a genetic analysis are well documented (each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies); recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.