People Are Not Concerned About Changing Their Health Behavior to Prolong Life

Even though new tests may be able to show people if they are more likely to develop certain diseases, some don’t change their behaviors.

FOX’s Alex Hein explains:

This is Housecall for Health.

The saying goes that you can’t change your genes, but you can change your behavior. That seems relevant in today’s world where genetic testing and mapping are widely available.

However, a new study published in the journal The BMJ finds that people who have a genetic test result that tells them they are at higher risk for lung cancer or heart disease aren’t likely to change their health behaviors anyway.

Researchers in England found that providing people with information about their estimated genetic risk for developing certain diseases such as diabetes, lung cancer, skin cancer or heart disease, had little or no effect on their health-related behavior.

The results from genetic tests were just not a factor that motivated people to change their lifestyle habits, especially when it came to quitting smoking and getting more exercise.

Smokers who found out they had an increased genetic risk of developing lung cancer were not more motivated to stop smoking than those who were not told they had a higher genetic risk.

For more on this story, check FOXNewsHealth.com.

Housecall for Health, I’m Alex Hein, FOX News.