The present invention relates to a method for predicting the degree of weight loss attainable by applying one or more dietary interventions to a subject and/or the degree of maintenance of weight loss following one or more dietary interventions; which method comprises determining the level of microRNA-486 (miR-486) in one or more samples obtained from the subject; and/or determining the nucleotide of the subject at one or more polymorphic positions genetically linked to miR-486.