False dichotomy. The possible choice of causes is not merely either willpower or genetics, nor are these cited causes the most probable. To wit, when anybody goes LC, they benefit at least in some fashion regardless of their willpower or genetics.

I do not respect Gina Kolata in the least. Here's an article she wrote about TMAO: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/h...heart-risk.html The wiki page for TMAO cites that arcticle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimethylamine_N-oxide

I remember well how it all happened. The very same day (literally within hours of publication) the article was published, the wiki page got updated with the citation. Indeed, several other wiki pages related to TMAO got updated that same day with the same citation. I emailed Gina about that, asking her about the unlikely possibility of such prompt editing of wiki with her article on the same day. She denied any involvement with that, of course. I also commented on the talk page for carnitine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Carnitine

So, willpower and genetics, Gina Kolata? Complete and total BS.