4 ms·

>If you expend more energy than you take in via calories, you lose weight, period. With a rational approach to food intake, that 10-15% the researchers claim i

>If you expend more energy than you take in via calories, you lose weight, period. With a rational approach to food intake, that 10-15% the researchers claim is like cutting the crust off of a sandwich. It's nothing. You don't see a lot of obese animals in nature, regardless of any genetic metabolic mutation, because they have to actually work to acquire their food. In theory yes, but the vast majority of people who try to lose weight through diet fail. And obese people who are forced to stick to a diet have the metabolisms of starving healthy people - their body desperately trying to return to it's previous weight.

MisterBastahrd 12y ago
The diet works. Their habits are a different matter. There is no such thing as "body desperately wanting to return to an old weight." Most people who screw up on their diets end up weighing MORE than before. That's because their approach to food is screwed up, not their genetic disposition to store fat.
- Houshalter 12y ago
  It has nothing to do with habits. Diets almost always fail, and those on them almost always return to their previous weights. Far more than can be explained by "habits". Obese people who go on diets have the metabolisms of starving people. While on a diet they burn 24% fewer calories per square meter than a normal person. In experiments normal people forced to eat huge amounts of calories gain weight. But as soon as the experiment stops they quickly return to the previous weight. During the experiment their metabolisms increase by 50 percent, and they need far more calories to maintain the weight. "The body’s metabolism speeds up or slows down to keep weight within a narrow range. Gain weight and the metabolism can as much as double; lose weight and it can slow to half its original speed." Also it's really easy to test if something is genetic. Just look at identical twins. Twins have the same weights even when raised in entirely different environments. "Weight is more strongly inherited than nearly any other condition, including mental illness, breast cancer or heart disease." Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/health/08fat.html?pagewanted=all http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/health/08fat.html?pagewant...

MisterBastahrd 12y ago

The diet works. Their habits are a different matter. There is no such thing as "body desperately wanting to return to an old weight." Most people who screw up on their diets end up weighing MORE than before. That's because their approach to food is screwed up, not their genetic disposition to store fat.

Houshalter 12y ago
It has nothing to do with habits. Diets almost always fail, and those on them almost always return to their previous weights. Far more than can be explained by "habits". Obese people who go on diets have the metabolisms of starving people. While on a diet they burn 24% fewer calories per square meter than a normal person. In experiments normal people forced to eat huge amounts of calories gain weight. But as soon as the experiment stops they quickly return to the previous weight. During the experiment their metabolisms increase by 50 percent, and they need far more calories to maintain the weight. "The body’s metabolism speeds up or slows down to keep weight within a narrow range. Gain weight and the metabolism can as much as double; lose weight and it can slow to half its original speed." Also it's really easy to test if something is genetic. Just look at identical twins. Twins have the same weights even when raised in entirely different environments. "Weight is more strongly inherited than nearly any other condition, including mental illness, breast cancer or heart disease." Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/health/08fat.html?pagewanted=all http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/08/health/08fat.html?pagewant...