the do-it-your-way diet.

The article explores the role of human genes in weight loss. A growing field of nutritional science called nutrigenomics is looking into how each person's unique genetic makeup governs how she metabolizes foods. Ruth M. DeBusk, geneticist and clinical nutritionist in Tallahassee, Florida, believes genes explain most diet failures, and she estimates that one-quarter to one-third of even her most compliant patients will not lose weight on a given diet. INSET: Find a weight-loss expert of your own.