According to a recent research, the secret to losing weight could be attributed to persons' genes rather than how strictly they adhere to a diet.

According to the study, some women are genetically programmed to have more success in losing kilos of weight through certain weight-loss programmes than others.

This could provide an explanation why some people swear by the fat-rich Atkins diet to slim down, while others do better by stocking up on carbohydrates.

This revelation came from the researchers at Stanford University. The researchers made this discovery after taking mouth swabs from more than 100 overweight women who had tried various diets.

They then analysed the women's DNA for five genes linked to how the body uses fat and carbohydrate.

The team found that women following diets that matched their genotype or genetic make-up, shed nearly 6 kg on average over a year, which is almost three times more than the other women.

It was also seen that these women saw their waistlines reduced by 2.6 inches on average, compared with 1.2 inches.

Lead researcher Christopher Gardner of Stanford University, said, "The differentiation in weight loss for individuals who followed a diet matched to their genotype versus one that was not matched to their genotype is highly significant and represents an approach to weight loss that has not previously been reported in literature."

He added that genetic information could be very important in solving the pervasive problem of excessive weight in our society.