EACH PERSON’S UNIQUE GENETIC MAKEUP IS THE KEY TO LONG-TERM HEALTH

DNA is a growing industry and SlimGENEration Weight Loss Management, a Dallas-based company, is using that science, along with the help of personal health coaches, to help its clients reach their optimal weight and health.

Sarah and Jim Ford (Photo courtesy of SlimGENEration)

“We get people who’ve tried everything,” SlimGENEration co-founder Sarah Ford said. “They really like DNA.”

The company, founded in 2013, recently opened its ninth North Texas clinic in Highland Park. Its philosophy is built on the idea that each person’s unique genetic map is the key to reducing inflammation, creating balance, and therefore, creating wellness and weight loss naturally. Testing begins with a simple cheek swab of saliva, a medical questionnaire, and a few other tests that are performed in the clinic.

DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid is a long molecule that contains our unique genetic code. Like a recipe book it holds the instructions for making all the proteins in our bodies.

The cheek swab is sent to a lab where scientists, using full region sequencing, analyze five specific genes linked to obesity, according to research for the Human Obesity Gene Map.

The results are reviewed by a doctor who provides a tailored report about an individual’s metabolic responses to fat, carbohydrates, and protein, as well as the best type, intensity, and length of exercise that person needs.

It’s an approach to weight loss that wasn’t possible 25 years ago when Dr. James Denito, who is the director of the multidiscipline clinic Galaxy Health Institute in Allen, tried to develop a diet plan for his patients who were overweight.

“People lost weight [on my plan], but couldn’t keep it off,” Denito said. “We didn’t have the DNA factor.”

Ford, a certified health coach with a background in nutrition, said she believes the secret to sustained weight loss and living your healthiest life is by creating balance within the body from the inside out.

“If you want a magic wand, we aren’t the right fit,” Sarah said.

The idea for SlimGENEration was born around a table — a kitchen table — when Sarah and her husband, Jim, were discussing Sarah’s future career plans after leaving a metabolic research center where she’d worked for about a dozen years. It was Sarah’s passion for health and wellness that drove the couple to start the business.

“We give [our clients] enough knowledge to maintain their health the rest of their lives.” -Jim Ford

After coming up with the concept, the Fords approached Denito, who helped them with researching and creating a line of nutraceutical supplements. Sarah said their clients’ results have been better than she’s ever seen in her career.

“We give [our clients] enough knowledge to maintain their health the rest of their lives,” Jim said.

Like many startups, there have been hurdles to jump and challenges along the way.

“It’s a labor of love,” Denito said, adding that they tried to get on ABC’s popular reality TV show, Shark Tank, in 2012.

Denito said the company is still seeking large investors to get on board.

“We’re all kinda donating our time right now,” he said.

They all agree that they want to “solve the obesity problem,” as Jim put it.

“Our goal is to get the weight off by making you healthier,” Denito said. “Oh, and by the way, you’ll lose weight by getting healthier.”

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