Saturday, February 25, 2017

23 and Me

23andMe is a company that offers genetic testing:
  • View reports on over 100 health conditions and traits
  • Find out about your inherited risk factors and how you might respond to certain medications
  • Discover your lineage and find DNA relatives
I was very curious what the genes say about me and I was ready to order but I read on company's website www.23andme.com/en-ca/health:

Currently there are no protections for Canadians against discrimination based on their genetics - life insurance companies and employers may request an individual's genetic information or may ask whether an individual has had a genetic test.

The insurance company would ask whether I have had a genetic test, I would have to say 'Yes', they might ask for it, and if I said I didn't want to provide it -  perhaps the insurance company will gather from the genetic report that I am a high risk and deny me coverage - they could say they didn't want to insure me either.

So I decided not to do the test and this is a pity, I was so curious what my genes would have revealed.

And the inconvenient truth about genetics:

The Deliberate Practice Myth

The myth of deliberate practice is that you can fashion yourself into anything with enough work and effort. While human beings do possess a remarkable ability to develop their skills, there are limits to how far any individual can go. Your genes set a boundary around what is possible.

In recent decades, behavioral geneticists have discovered that our genes impact nearly every human trait. We are not merely talking about physical characteristics like height and eyesight, but mental abilities as well. Your genes impact everything from your short-term memory abilities to your mental processing speed to your willingness to practice.

http://jamesclear.com/deliberate-practice-myth

I have just found out:

The Senate’s Bill S-201, the Genetic Non-Discrimination Act, regulates the use of Genetic Information by insurers, employers, and other organizations.
This Act, which received Royal Assent and became law in May 2017, prevents employers and insurance companies from requiring individuals to take a genetic test or to disclose results from such testing. S-201 does not cover tests required by healthcare practitioners and researchers. Learn more about S-201.
23andMe strongly opposes genetic discrimination and was an active supporter of S-201 in Canada. We will continue to advocate for legislation and other actions that will protect individuals from discrimination on the basis of genetic information.

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