In all the years that I’ve been doing the work as a dietitian, I have come across many people who say that they have a genetic predisposition for certain diseases, so how much can eating healthier change that?

For example, if you have a family history of type 2 diabetes, is it your destiny to get type 2 diabetes? Or can you resist it and not ever get it?

If you have a family history of Alzheimer’s, can you change your lifestyle to reduce your chances of getting it?

In many cases, yes.

There is an older saying, “genetics loads the gun environment and pulls the trigger.”

This saying emphasizes that we can walk around our whole life with the genetic predisposition of getting something, some disease, some chronic illness; however, we can do things with our lifestyle that can change the chances of that ever happening. Or at least putting it off if possible.

I am not a geneticist and don’t study genetics. I have done my genetic profile more out of curiosity than anything else. And really, there weren’t any surprises in there.

DNA Helix — We often ask, as health care professionals, what is your family history? For example, who in your family has had diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, stroke, and many other conditions? Family history, or your genes, is estimated to be **about 25%** of our overall risk.

**That’s right – 25%. Our life choices are the other 75%.**

I have a family history of cancer. I have two parents, one sibling, and three grandparents who all had cancer (the parents and sibling are still alive and well). Therefore, I have a significant risk of cancer. Is that genetics or something else?

I actively do things to reduce my cancer risk. I wear sunscreen, don’t smoke, and eat a diet that can reduce my cancer risk.

Now I could throw up my hands and say, “I have a family history of cancer. I’m going to get it, so I may as well smoke, drink and eat highly processed meats because I’m going to get cancer anyway.” I don’t do that. I get my screenings for cancer as uncomfortable as they are. And take an active approach to reducing my risk.

I’ve met individuals who assume it is their destiny that they will get Alzheimer’s when that’s not necessarily the case. While we still have a lot to learn about Alzheimer’s, there are things that we believe we can do that can help reduce that risk, most notably a healthy diet and regular exercise. One can have a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s, but that doesn’t mean one will get it.

And there is some disease that we get even with no family history of that disease.

I have met many women who are shocked when diagnosed with breast cancer because they don’t have a family history. But unfortunately, it is estimated that only about 15% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of it.

While I was diagnosed with osteoporosis at 30 (yes, that is correct), I have no significant family history of it in my family.

So, we can get a disease without a family history and avoid or delay a disease even with a family history.

While there is no cure-all or one way to prevent disease, there are recommendations for many chronic diseases, including the risk of certain types of cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and many more.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Reduce saturated fat intake and replace it with healthy, unsaturated fats.
Minimize added sugars.
If you choose to consume alcohol, do so in moderation.
Get appropriate exercise – at least 150 minutes per week and include strengthening activities too.
Don’t smoke. And minimize your exposure to second-hand smoke.
Wear sunscreen.

Is it that simple – maybe? Of course, as I stated, this won’t eliminate disease risk, but it certainly will help reduce the risk and delay it for many years or decades.

Don’t blow off how much you can do in your life to reduce your risk.