In what may be the Next Big Thing in weight loss, health experts are increasingly designing programs tailored to a person's unique genetic makeup.

The programs, which experts predict will become commonplace within five years, are known as known as "precision weight loss" initiatives and help overweight people shed pounds through customized diets and physical activity plans based on an individual's genetic data.

The new approach is the result of new research that has increasingly identified links between genetics, lifestyle, behavior, and weight-related diseases.

A report, in the January edition of the journal Obesity, summarizes the latest medical research on factors that influence weight loss and weight regain, and it identifies how genetic information and data collection from noninvasive, portable devices may soon be incorporated into research and weight loss treatment.

"I think within five years, we'll see people start to use a combination of genetic, behavioral and other sophisticated data to develop individualized weight management plans," says Molly Bray, a geneticist and professor of nutritional sciences at The University of Texas at Austin, who is a leader in the new field of obesity genetics.

Bray envisions the day when patients will submit saliva samples for gene sequencing, along with using automated sensors to collect information about factors such as their environment, diet, activity, and stress. A computer analysis would take this information and provide patients with specific recommendations to achieve their target weight.

Bray notes that fitness trackers, such as Fitbit, that monitor individuals’ behavior and lifestyle are already providing the kinds of data needed to do the fundamental research behind precision weight loss. According to the study, the real challenge now for researchers is to develop the tools to analyze this data and come up with practical plans for weight loss.

"We are pretty good at helping people lose weight in the short term," says Bray. "But the stats on long-term weight loss are pretty dismal. We still don't understand the process of weight regain very well, either from a behavioral or a biological standpoint."

Multiple research projects have shown that genetic factors account for about half of a person’s overall weight level, while the rest is due to environmental factors, including diet, exercise, and lifestyle. As a result of such variations in genetic makeup, exercise might is less effective at reducing weight for some people compared with others.

"When people hear that genes may be playing a role in their weight loss success, they don't say, 'Oh great, I just won't exercise any more,' " says Bray. “They actually say 'Oh thank you. Finally someone acknowledges that it's harder work for me than it is for others.' And then I think they're a little more forgiving of themselves, and they're more motivated to make a change."

The new report is an outgrowth of a workshop convened by the National Institutes of Health titled "Genes, Behaviors, and Response to Weight Loss Interventions" in 2014.

"We've made great strides in our understanding of what drives eating behavior, how fat cells are formed and how metabolism is altered before and after the onset of obesity," says Bray. "The time is ripe to take this wealth of data and find ways to utilize it more effectively to treat people in need."