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So, because your body doesn't have the tendency to put on weight, you eat what you like. Your friends who tend to get fat easily watch what the y eat, but it's

by geon 14y ago

So, because your body doesn't have the tendency to put on weight, you eat what you like. Your friends who tend to get fat easily watch what the y eat, but it's not helping them that much. This really sounds to me like there are great differences in metabolism person to person. I have always been skinny, and I eat a lot of whatever. I don't exercise much. I know people who are "big", but eat less than I do.

jqueryin 14y ago
Unfortunately skinny does not imply healthy. I am also skinny with high metabolism, but that doesn't mean it's okay to eat whatever you want and forego exercise as your internals could be like those of a much older individual (heart, lungs, etc).
- mikecane 14y ago
  >>>Unfortunately skinny does not imply healthy. Yes, this: Thin people can be fat on the inside http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18594089/ns/health-fitness/t/thin-people-can-be-fat-inside/ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18594089/ns/health-fitness/t/thi... Doesn't matter how thin you are. Inside, your cardiac arteries can be clogged as hell.
BSousa 14y ago
People don't have that much difference in metabolisms (unless we are talking about actual health problems or differences between severe overweight and athletes). What happens is most people don't know what they are eating. BBC did a documentary where two friends, one skinny and one fat, swore the difference was due to metabolism, that the skinny one ate a lot and the fat one didn't. They tested it and found out that the fat one used more calories than the thin one, but also took a lot more calories per day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTr1JUvEiUU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTr1JUvEiUU
- analog 14y ago
  The basal metabolic rate varies between individuals. One study of 150 adults representative of the population in Scotland reported basal metabolic rates from as low as 1027 kcal per day (4301 kJ) to as high as 2499 kcal (10455 kJ) [1] Your metabolism also slows noticeably as you get older. In my 20s I could eat anything (and lots of it) without being able to gain any weight. Now in my 40s I have to lift weights (to increase metabolism) and watch what I eat to stop putting on fat. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate
  - BSousa 14y ago
    According to the study, only 26.7% difference wasn't explained by age/sex/weight. Which means for almost 75% the values were somehow dependent on sex/age/weight. And the difference between the top 5% and bottom 5% of the outliers was around 30% (which means for a 2000kcal average BMR, the bottom needed only 1700 and top 2300). This, in my opinion, is not enough for people to tout slow/fast metabolism for weight gain/loss as most people won't fall into the top/bottom 5%.
    - analog 14y ago
      Even if you're eating just 300kcal over what you need every day you will become overweight eventually. Edit: for reference 300kcal is about what you'd burn off with a 4 kilometer run.
      - randallsquared 14y ago
        "Eventually"? That's putting on 30 pounds a year, assuming it's all about (caloriesIn - caloriesUsed) / 3600 = poundsOfFat. Of course, anyone who has dieted long term knows that that's not the whole story. You might cut your calories in half and still plateau within a few months.
        analog 14y ago
        As you put on more weight the amount of calories you need increases. I don't think cutting your calories in half would result in a plateau within a few months in most cases. That's quite a major reduction, pretty much a starvation diet.

by geon 14y ago

jqueryin 14y ago

Unfortunately skinny does not imply healthy. I am also skinny with high metabolism, but that doesn't mean it's okay to eat whatever you want and forego exercise as your internals could be like those of a much older individual (heart, lungs, etc).

mikecane 14y ago
>>>Unfortunately skinny does not imply healthy. Yes, this: Thin people can be fat on the inside http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18594089/ns/health-fitness/t/thin-people-can-be-fat-inside/ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18594089/ns/health-fitness/t/thi... Doesn't matter how thin you are. Inside, your cardiac arteries can be clogged as hell.

BSousa 14y ago

People don't have that much difference in metabolisms (unless we are talking about actual health problems or differences between severe overweight and athletes). What happens is most people don't know what they are eating. BBC did a documentary where two friends, one skinny and one fat, swore the difference was due to metabolism, that the skinny one ate a lot and the fat one didn't. They tested it and found out that the fat one used more calories than the thin one, but also took a lot more calories per day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTr1JUvEiUU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTr1JUvEiUU

analog 14y ago
The basal metabolic rate varies between individuals. One study of 150 adults representative of the population in Scotland reported basal metabolic rates from as low as 1027 kcal per day (4301 kJ) to as high as 2499 kcal (10455 kJ) [1] Your metabolism also slows noticeably as you get older. In my 20s I could eat anything (and lots of it) without being able to gain any weight. Now in my 40s I have to lift weights (to increase metabolism) and watch what I eat to stop putting on fat. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate
- BSousa 14y ago
  According to the study, only 26.7% difference wasn't explained by age/sex/weight. Which means for almost 75% the values were somehow dependent on sex/age/weight. And the difference between the top 5% and bottom 5% of the outliers was around 30% (which means for a 2000kcal average BMR, the bottom needed only 1700 and top 2300). This, in my opinion, is not enough for people to tout slow/fast metabolism for weight gain/loss as most people won't fall into the top/bottom 5%.
  - analog 14y ago
    Even if you're eating just 300kcal over what you need every day you will become overweight eventually. Edit: for reference 300kcal is about what you'd burn off with a 4 kilometer run.
    - randallsquared 14y ago
      "Eventually"? That's putting on 30 pounds a year, assuming it's all about (caloriesIn - caloriesUsed) / 3600 = poundsOfFat. Of course, anyone who has dieted long term knows that that's not the whole story. You might cut your calories in half and still plateau within a few months.
      - analog 14y ago
        As you put on more weight the amount of calories you need increases. I don't think cutting your calories in half would result in a plateau within a few months in most cases. That's quite a major reduction, pretty much a starvation diet.