Weight Loss Is in Your Genes; Many People Struggle to Lose Weight on Diet Plans They See in Newspapers, Magazines and on the Internet. but Could That Be Because They're Not Right for Them on a Genetic Level? JOHN HILL Looks at a Weight Management Programme That Tailors Your Eating and Exercise Habits to Your DNA

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Byline: JOHN HILL

KEEN photographer Joan Thirlaway bought The Journal on that morning in October because it featured one of her pictures; an early-morning snap of Rydal Water just after sunset.

But a few pages away, she spotted something that had her haring to the telephone. The edition featured an interview with stem cell scientist Carolyn Horrocks, who was looking for people to join a trial which would give participants a weight management plan tailored to their DNA.

"As soon as I saw it, I got on the phone and asked to be part of the trial,", she says. "I thought it was fate.

"I've always struggled with my weight, and always believed there was a genetic element to it, but people poo-pooed me. It was a lightbulb moment that at last someone was doing something about it."

The 63-year-old, from Gilsland in Northumberland, was one of 20 people who signed up to the trials for Carolyn's company MyGenomics. The six who completed it had an average weight loss of 12lb and came out of the nine-week programme with its most impressive results.

Joan lost 24lb on the programme, which involved 1,300 calories each day and walking five miles around the home and in the beautiful countryside nearby.

"I've lost so much weight …