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Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#21

Post by yetihehe »

mikekchar wrote: post #15
Wh1zz wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but some might be genetically predisposed to make more efficient use of calories (burn easier rather than store as fat). Which could make a massive difference.

If I'm 6'4" and 20 years old, I can probably eat 2500-3000 calories a day and stay slim. If I'm 5'10" and 50 years old, I can probably east about 1900 calories a date a stay slim. It is a huge difference. But, it doesn't matter. Some people can eat more than others and not get fat. There is no justice in the universe ;-). Whether it is some gene, your body size, your age or something else, it doesn't matter. Eat too…

> Don't eat too much and you won't get fat.

Just invent flying cars, that will solve some problems. Easy, right? The "HOW" is a problem, not "what is needed". When obese people don't eat too much, their body thinks "I don't have enough, time to enter energy saving mode and increase hunger".

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#23

Post by lsc »

benj111 wrote: post #20
lsc wrote: post #12

so, obviously, calories in and calories out are what controls your weight. But that doesn't conflict with the idea that your success at managing your weight in a world where calories in are increasingly cheap and calories out are increasingly expensive is largely genetic. I think I can speak to this a little bit; I've taken four points off my BMI in the last year or year and a half or so, all through counting calorie…

I think the hunger thing is habit? If I'm in a job where I get a regular lunch break at the same time every day. If for some reason I'm late my stomach starts rumbling really loudly, conversely if I eat early I have problems eating because I'm not hungry. Now this can be as little as 30 minutes difference either way. I don't have the same issue at weekends though.

If you eat 25% fewer calories than you burn every day, and you do this for a week, unless our physiology is dramatically different, you will feel hunger that is not related to habit.

Interestingly, for me? If I cut down to the point where my performance falls (closer to 40% for a few days) my hunger kind of goes away. Of course, I can't really work in that state (I'm aware some others can) so it's not really useful to me. If I want to lose weight while still working, it seems I need to experience that hunger.

One of the annoying things for me is that because this hunger is such a big part of my experience, I want to talk about it, and this... annoys almost everyone. Aside from people on the internet who want to insult you for not following their favorite fad diet, it's worse in person, because almost everyone I've talked to about it in person seems to think I'm telling them that they need to lose weight.

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#24

Post by mikekchar »

yetihehe wrote: post #21
mikekchar wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I'm 6'4" and 20 years old, I can probably eat 2500-3000 calories a day and stay slim. If I'm 5'10" and 50 years old, I can probably east about 1900 calories a date a stay slim. It is a huge difference. But, it doesn't matter. Some people can eat more than others and not get fat. There is no justice in the universe ;-). Whether it is some gene, your body size, your age or something else, it doesn't matter. Eat too…

> Don't eat too much and you won't get fat. Just invent flying cars, that will solve some problems. Easy, right? The "HOW" is a problem, not "what is needed". When obese people don't eat too much, their body thinks "I don't have enough, time to enter energy saving mode and increase hunger".

That is not established. I have never seen a study that says that obese people are hungrier than non-obese people. There isn't even a way to establish a baseline.

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#25

Post by benj111 »

apatters wrote: post #14
newfriend wrote: post #4

Eating too much food the 'secret to becoming fat' The secret to staying slim is to not eat more calories than your body uses. Excuses like this will only make obesity even more common and accepted than it is today.

This is a toxic and harmful attitude. There are genetic, dietary and fitness components to obesity. This is not disputed. At least one of these components is outside of the control of the individual. Others can be influenced. If someone is chronically obese, the best thing for them is to work on what they can control with professionals, which might normally include a dietitian or a personal trainer but they might als…

While I wouldn't be as blunt as the OP, I wouldn't describe it as toxic. Ultimately if you are obese, it's because you've eaten too much and that needs to be accepted before you can do anything about it.

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#26

Post by [deleted] »

lsc wrote: post #12

so, obviously, calories in and calories out are what controls your weight. But that doesn't conflict with the idea that your success at managing your weight in a world where calories in are increasingly cheap and calories out are increasingly expensive is largely genetic. I think I can speak to this a little bit; I've taken four points off my BMI in the last year or year and a half or so, all through counting calorie…

[deleted]

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#27

Post by Tepix »

apatters wrote: post #14
newfriend wrote: post #4

Eating too much food the 'secret to becoming fat' The secret to staying slim is to not eat more calories than your body uses. Excuses like this will only make obesity even more common and accepted than it is today.

This is a toxic and harmful attitude. There are genetic, dietary and fitness components to obesity. This is not disputed. At least one of these components is outside of the control of the individual. Others can be influenced. If someone is chronically obese, the best thing for them is to work on what they can control with professionals, which might normally include a dietitian or a personal trainer but they might als…

I'm curious: What's your opinion on smoking?

Genetics are also likely to be involved in the likelihood of someone (not) being able to stop smoking (perhaps also starting to smoke), right?

However, I haven't heard anyone blaming their smoking habit on genetics.

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#28

Post by zepolen »

newfriend wrote: post #4

Eating too much food the 'secret to becoming fat' The secret to staying slim is to not eat more calories than your body uses. Excuses like this will only make obesity even more common and accepted than it is today.

A fat guy once told me that he is addicted to food like an alcoholic or smoker, the problem is it's easy to relapse.

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#29

Post by zepolen »

spacesuitman2 wrote: post #5
newfriend wrote: post #4

Eating too much food the 'secret to becoming fat' The secret to staying slim is to not eat more calories than your body uses. Excuses like this will only make obesity even more common and accepted than it is today.

>The secret to staying slim is to not eat more calories than your body uses This. There are too many people who do not understand that conservation of mass applies to the human body too. Nobody gains 1 kg by eating a single peanut, yet some people claim it's all genes.

The genes affect their 'cant stop after eating that first peanut' syndrome.

Just like the will to live affects your 'cant hold breath forever' incapability.

I mean sure it's technically possible to hold your breath until you pass out, but it would take a crazy amount of will power.

Re: Skinny genes the 'secret to staying slim'

#30

Post by Tepix »

black-tea wrote: post #9
Wh1zz wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but some might be genetically predisposed to make more efficient use of calories (burn easier rather than store as fat). Which could make a massive difference.

Actually the person who makes more efficient use of calories is more likely to become fat because they don't need as much. There's also a lot of evidence that burning through loads of energy will reduce your life span. Eating less is always better than trying to burn more.

> Actually the person who makes more efficient use of calories is more likely to become fat because they don't need as much.

Only if they eat as much as someone who uses calories less efficiently. Which is not a given.

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