Is the Cure for Obesity Written in our Genes?
Forbes
Arlene Weintraub
May 18, 2016

Genetic testing has gone mainstream. A rapidly growing understanding of how genes contribute to disease is making it feasible for anyone to undergo testing for dozens of genes and genetic mutations—and to learn how they might take action to prevent a range of conditions, from obesity to cancer to cardiovascular disease. There are now more than 63,000 genetic tests available for upwards of 4,500 diseases, according to the government sponsored database GeneTests. The demand for these tests is so high, says the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC), that the number of certified genetic counselors in the U.S. has skyrocketed 75% since 2006 to more than 4,000. And insurer UnitedHealth estimates that the amount of money spent in the U.S. every year on genetic testing will balloon from $5 billion to $25 billion by 2021.