Editor’s note: Pending an FDA decision, 23andMe no longer offers new customers access to health reports referred to in this post. Customers who received their health information prior to November...

Not too long ago I was a sedentary, slightly-overweight, South Asian man entering my thirties. Like everyone I know, I felt that the less I saw my doctor, the better. Most importantly, by medical standards, I had no reason to consider myself predisposed to heart disease. Not long ago, my 23andMe data changed my story. (Read on for a personal story of how 23andMe results prompted someone to learn some valuable information about his family's medical history and make important changes for his health.)