Beat Your Genes

Mom had breast cancer? Dad developed diabetes? You can’t hit the reset button when it comes to your family health history, but you can lower the odds that you’ll suffer a similar fate.

- Hallie Levine

You have about 25,000 genes, which carry the information that determines traits such as green eyes. Sometimes they also have slight variations that increase your risk of certain diseases, says Louanne Hudgins, MD, president of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. But fortunately, your genes are not the whole picture. Your habits make a big difference in your overall wellness. Case in point: People who adopted four changes—not smoking; eating a diet rich in fruits, veggies, lean protein, healthy fats and whole grains; doing physical activity five days a week; and limiting alcohol intake to less than a drink a day—were 63% less likely to die from any cause over almost two decades, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health. Here’s how to rewrite your family history so you control the ending.

You can beat… TYPE 2 DIABETES

Studies in twins show that genetics plays a strong role in diabetes—when one twin gets it, the other twin has a three-in-four risk of developing it too, according to the American Diabetes Association. But “your environment is a big factor,” says Scott Isaacs, MD, an endocrinologist at Emory University in Atlanta and the author of Hormonal Balance. One of the best ways to lower your odds is to be as active as possible, since exercise naturally lowers blood sugar and helps you stay at a healthy weight.

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