London, April 7 (IANS) The secret to losing weight could be down to a person's genes rather than how strictly they adhere to a diet, a research indicates.

According to the study, some women are genetically programmed to have more success in shedding pounds through certain weight-loss schemes than others. The findings could explain why some people swear by the fat-rich Atkins diet to slim down, while others do better by stocking up on carbohydrates, reports telegraph.co.uk.

Researchers from Stanford University in the US have 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 - almost three times more than the other women.

These women also saw their waistlines reduced by 2.6 inches on average, compared with 1.2 inches.

Christopher Gardner of Stanford University, who led the study, 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 using genetic information would "be important in helping to solve the pervasive problem of excessive weight in our society".