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Genetic and environmental contributions
to eating habits in twins
Katie Waldrip
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Genetic vs. Environmental
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Additive genetic variation
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Nonadditive genetic variation
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Shared environment
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Unshared environment
(2)
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Study Designs
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Classic Twin Design
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Cotwin Control Design
(1)
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Monozygotic vs. Dizygotic
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What is the difference?
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Genetic effects underlie the use-frequencies of all food items
(4)
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Male vs. Female
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Women had a higher percentage of energy from carbohydrates
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Men obtained more energy from fat
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For some food groups, genetic effects were found for women,
but not for men (juices, poultry, eggs, and margarine)
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Fruit intake was not genetically influenced in men or women
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How much? How often?
(2) (4)
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Preference of Taste/Allergen Sensitization
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Sour vs. salty
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Common allergens
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Peanut and shellfish allergens
(12) (5)
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Restrained Eating and Obesity
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Genetic and unique environmental experiences contribute
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Behavior pattern
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Genetically determined body shapes
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Restrictive/overeating styles vs health-conscious eating
styles
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Genetic predisposition
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Why are behavior determinants important?
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Intentional weight loss vs overeating
(8) (3) (6) (11)
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Physical Activity
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Eating according to need
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Habitual physical activity
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Daily energy intake
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Body fat percentage
(7)
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Age
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When do environmental contributions stop impacting?
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Why is this important?
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When do genetic contributions impact the most?
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Five specific dietary food patterns
(4) (6) (10)
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Now what?
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Around the world
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Implementation
(9)
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All about Katie and Lauren…
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Dizygotic
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Shared environment
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Body composition
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Allergies
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Eating habits
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References
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1. Faith MS. Development and modification of child food preferences and eating
patterns: Behavior genetics strategies. Int J Obes. 2005;29(6):549-556.
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2. Hasselbalch AL, Heitmann BL, Kyvik KO, Sorensen TIA. Studies of twins indicate that
genetics influence dietary intake. J Nutr. 2008;138(12):2406-2412.
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3. Keski-Rahkonen A, Bulik CM, Pietilainen KH, Rose RJ, Kaprio J, Rissanen A. Eating
styles, overweight and obesity in young adult twins. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007;61(7):822-829.
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4. Keskitalo K, Silventoinen K, Tuorila H, et al. Genetic and environmental contributions
to food use patterns of young adult twins. Physiol Behav. 2008;93(1-):235-242.
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5. Liu X, Zhang S, Tsai HJ, et al. Genetic and environmental contributions to allergen
sensitization in a chinese twin study. Clinical and Experimental Allergy. 2009;39(7):991998.
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6. Nelson MC, Gordon-Larsen P, North KE, Adair LS. Body mass index gain, fast food, and
physical activity: Effects of shared environments over time. Obesity (Silver Spring).
2006;14(4):701-709.
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References (continued)
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7. Rintala M, Lyytikainen A, Leskinen T, et al. Leisure-time physical activity and nutrition:
A twin study. Public Health Nutr. 2011;14(5):846-852.
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8. Schur E, Noonan C, Polivy J, Goldberg J, Buchwald D. Genetic and environmental
influences on restrained eating behavior. Int J Eat Disord. 2009;42(8):765-772.
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9. Sung J, Lee K, Yun-Mi Song, Mi KL, Dong-Hun Lee. Heritability of eating behavior
assessed using the DEBQ (dutch eating behavior questionnaire) and weight-related
traits: The healthy twin study. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010;18(5):1000-1005.
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10. Teucher B, Skinner J, Skidmore PML, et al. Dietary patterns and heritability of food
choice in a UK female twin cohort. Twin Res Hum Genet. 2007;10(5):734-748.
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11. Wade TD, Treloar SA, Heath AC, Martin NG. An examination of the overlap between
genetic and environmental risk factors for intentional weight loss and overeating. Int J
Eat Disord. 2009;42(6):492-497.
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12. Wise PM, Hansen JL, Reed DR, Breslin PAS. Twin study of the heritability of
recognition thresholds for sour and salty taste. Chem Senses. 2007;32(8):749-754.
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Questions?