NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Counseling people about their
personal risk of diabetes based on their genes may not motivate
them to take steps to prevent the blood sugar disease, a new
study suggests. Overweight and obese research participants lost
the same amount of weight and were similarly dedicated to a
diabetes-prevention program whether they learned their genes put
them at high or low risk - or when they hadn't been counseled at
all. "It's very, very hard to change behavior," said lead
researcher Dr. Richard Grant, now at Kaiser Permanente Northern
California in Oakland. "The idea that a number, whether it's a
genetic number or anything, will have a big impact on changing
people's behavior - it just won't work." Researchers have
predicted that people who learn they are at extra-high risk of
diabetes might be more motivated to change their lifestyle, and
patient surveys support that idea. But there is also the concern
that those at low genetic risk will get a false sense of
reassurance and believe that eat