Take the Feed Your Genes Right Quiz

How Is Your Health?

Take The Feed Your Genes Right Quiz

Your risk of disease is influenced by a variety of factors, including the genes you inherit from your parents and how your genes are shaped by the dietary and environmental factors unique to your life. This quiz assesses some of the risk factors affecting the health and function of your genes. Simply circle yes or no, depending on whether the statement applies to you.

Your Inherited Risk Factors

I am more than forty years old.	Yes	No
My father died of a heart attack before the age of fifty.	Yes	No
My mother died of breast or cervical cancer before the age of forty.	Yes	No
Some serious diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, or others, seem to run in my family.	Yes	No
I was born with a recognized birth defect, such as a cleft lip or a cleft palate, or I have been diagnosed with a genetic condition.	Yes	No

Explanation: Yes answers point to a risk of disease related to either inheritance or age-related genetic damage.

Your Current Health Status

I am a little overweight.	Yes	No
I am considerably overweight and so is (was) at least one of my parents.	Yes	No
My energy levels are not as high as I would like, and I often feel too tired to do the things I would like to do.	Yes	No
I have been diagnosed with glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, Syndrome X, or diabetes.	Yes	No
I have been diagnosed with some type of cardiovascular disease or cancer.	Yes	No
I regularly take two or more different medications for conditions my doctor has diagnosed.	Yes	No
The older I get, the more forgetful I seem to become.	Yes	No

Explanation: Yes answers indicate that your genetics, cell function, and metabolism have been compromised, most likely because of dietary or lifestyle habits. The more yes answers, the more seriously your genes and health have already been compromised.

Your Stress Levels

I am under a lot of stress at home, at work, or while commuting.	Yes	No
I have a lot of resentment or anger about things that are not the way they should be in my life.	Yes	No
I have not been in a long-term relationship for at least several years, or I am in a relationship that I do not find enjoyable and satisfying.	Yes	No
I tend to have a lot of "down" days or often feel depressed.	Yes	No

Explanation: Yes answers reflect a high level of stress, which can lead to an imbalance in brain chemistry and altered gene function in brain cells.

Your Dietary and Exercise Habits

I usually skip breakfast, or I just have something like coffee and a doughnut.	Yes	No
I do not like eating vegetables, and I do not eat them regularly.	Yes	No
I eat a lot of my meals in fast-food restaurants.	Yes	No
I make most of my meals at home by heating something from a box in the microwave oven.	Yes	No
I smoke cigarettes.	Yes	No
I drink spirits (hard liquor) or beer every day.	Yes	No
I am too busy or too tired to exercise regularly.	Yes	No

Explanation: Yes answers indicate that you are not providing a sound nutritional or lifestyle environment for your genes. Even if you are currently free of disease, you are experiencing accelerated genetic damage, which will set the stage for serious chronic disease.

To Finish the Quiz

Add up your yes answers. If you did not circle any yes answers at all, you are in great shape, have good eating habits, and have good family genetics. If you circled just a few yes answers, you may be thinking that it's nearly impossible to achieve a perfect score - and that this quiz is stacked against you. But it is not. Rather the quiz is designed to show how many heredity, dietary, and lifestyle factors can work against you and the health of your genes. Every person inherits some types of genetic weaknesses and acquires additional genetic damage each and every day of his or her life.