What do you think of people who are naturally slim?

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Replies

  • BodyzLanguage
    BodyzLanguage Posts: 200 Member
    I wish to gather every last one of them and deposit them some place far far away. Lucky *kitten*.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    synacious wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    When asked why her son was so skinny, the mother responded, "I don't understand. He's eating me out of house and home, and he can't put on a pound." The other mother said, "He eats like a horse. I've never seen anything like it. Can't figure it out."

    It is beyond my comprehension that most of the posters here cannot acknowledge the obvious - there are naturally skinny people, particularly those under the age of 25. The word metabolism is in the dictionary for a reason. And for most of us, our metabolism slows as we get older.

    You just can't consume the same number of calories at 50 that you consumed at 21 (assuming similar amounts of exercise) without the consequence of weight gain. This is sky is blue and grass is green stuff.

    It's beyond my comprehension as well that people can't acknowledge that young adults are often much more active than adults even if they aren't doing intentional exercise.

    And as mentioned many times in this thread, yes, metabolism slows as you age, but not to the degree that people here seem to think. The far bigger factor is becoming less active as you age.

    Yep. Also, if they are growing, they will have higher metabolisms. Nothing surprising. And there's some degree of muscle loss on average -- that's why the calculators that estimate TDEE without BF% ask age, and the one that uses BF% doesn't need age.

    In the late 70's and early 80's, the only people that went to gyms were muscle heads. Running/jogging was not common. Bicycles were for kids.

    My assumption is the average 55-year-old does more exercise today than he or she did when they were 20. Been to a gym lately and see the older people?

    And they don't eat more at 55 than they ate at 20. Yet, if you ask most of them, they probably say they can't eat what they ate when they were 20.

    This was not my experience in the 70's and 80's. Free standing gyms were not nearly as common as now, but almost every rec center had one and aerobic classes were all the rage. Dancercize, Jazzercize, or just basic aerobics. Jogging was also very popular. Jane Fonda began releasing workout videos in 1982.

    But maybe I'm just from bizzaro land because I'm 53 and since I learned out how ride a bike as a child, there has never been a time in my life when I didn't own and ride one.

    Yeah, I just said I disagreed and remembered the time period, but since you spelled it out I'll agree -- I definitely remember aerobics being a big thing, my mom did Jazzercize and my parents went square dancing (LOL), the first jogging boom was in the '70s (Royko used to make fun of it in columns, but people did it), my parents had bikes, as well as my sister and I, weights were more for boys than girls until later in the '80s IME, but they were hardly uncommon, people would of course do things like play tennis, so on. Plus, Richard Simmons.

    Yep. When I was a kid in the '80s, I woke up every morning at 6 am to do Mousercise on The Disney Channel. I also did the Get in Shape, Girl tapes with my sister. Then from around 10 am until dinner when we were forced to come in, we were outside playing kickball, tag, Red Light, Green Light, double dutch, and a multitude of other games. Meanwhile, my mom would do workouts on TV with Richard Simmons, Susan Powter, Gilad's Bodies in Motion, and Tony Little. We also had a YMCA family membership for a while because it was cheap. Now in my area it's over $800 for a year at the Y, plus a joiner's fee since the cost of living has skyrocketed and gyms are all the rage now.

    I loved Bodies In Motion! It wasn't early 80's, so later than the timeframe in the post above, but still a fun workout. That Gilad dude was a hoot!

    I'm going to have to see if those are available on DVD. That might be my workout this winter when I don't get outside much.
  • cinnag4225
    cinnag4225 Posts: 126 Member
    edited July 2016
    I used to think they were just genetically blessed whereas I would have to work at it for the rest of my life. What about you?

    Based solely on the people I've known throughout my life, I'm kind of glad that I have to work harder at it.

    I used to think those who didn't work as hard to maintain their physique was lucky. That changed 5 or 6 years ago. A former friend of mine is "slim" (actually looks anorexic, but that's genetics at play) can eat 4-5 times more in a sitting than I can and barely gains a pound. Because of that she used it as a license to eat junk all the time. A little while before our falling out she had to go through a medical exam for a job and ended up being turned down because in addition to malnutrition her blood pressure and cholesterol were out of control.

    Although I didn't take seriously the impact my weight has had on my joints until recently, I've always been cautious about my sugars and cholesterol because I knew being overweight (not to mention family history) elevated my risk of several diseases. So some days yeah, I wish my metabolism was faster so I could enjoy a full cup of ice cream instead of half, but most of the time I'm glad I don't have the extra excuse to enable bad habits (besides which I discovered I love running, so there's another good reason to keep at it!).
  • myfightforfitness
    myfightforfitness Posts: 136 Member
    What do I think of people who are naturally slim?... Lucky B*******s
  • OhMsDiva
    OhMsDiva Posts: 1,073 Member
    They are evil
  • Dannigreen31
    Dannigreen31 Posts: 557 Member
    I can eat a lot and the scale barely move. Always been the same but I'm also very active...
  • LokiGrrl
    LokiGrrl Posts: 156 Member
    This thread has been really fascinating to me. I was called "naturally thin" for most of my life - when I was a little kid I practically had to run around in the shower to get wet. Except for two periods (one of which is ending now) I was always active but I didn't think about it because I wasn't "exercising," I was just moving a lot, walking and riding my bike everywhere. When things in my life interfered with my ability to be active, that's when I gained weight, and when those barriers were removed, it usually came off. This is an incredibly simplified view but I don't think anyone really wants to hear my life story here on the MFP forums so I'm keeping it short.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    synacious wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    When asked why her son was so skinny, the mother responded, "I don't understand. He's eating me out of house and home, and he can't put on a pound." The other mother said, "He eats like a horse. I've never seen anything like it. Can't figure it out."

    It is beyond my comprehension that most of the posters here cannot acknowledge the obvious - there are naturally skinny people, particularly those under the age of 25. The word metabolism is in the dictionary for a reason. And for most of us, our metabolism slows as we get older.

    You just can't consume the same number of calories at 50 that you consumed at 21 (assuming similar amounts of exercise) without the consequence of weight gain. This is sky is blue and grass is green stuff.

    It's beyond my comprehension as well that people can't acknowledge that young adults are often much more active than adults even if they aren't doing intentional exercise.

    And as mentioned many times in this thread, yes, metabolism slows as you age, but not to the degree that people here seem to think. The far bigger factor is becoming less active as you age.

    Yep. Also, if they are growing, they will have higher metabolisms. Nothing surprising. And there's some degree of muscle loss on average -- that's why the calculators that estimate TDEE without BF% ask age, and the one that uses BF% doesn't need age.

    In the late 70's and early 80's, the only people that went to gyms were muscle heads. Running/jogging was not common. Bicycles were for kids.

    My assumption is the average 55-year-old does more exercise today than he or she did when they were 20. Been to a gym lately and see the older people?

    And they don't eat more at 55 than they ate at 20. Yet, if you ask most of them, they probably say they can't eat what they ate when they were 20.

    This was not my experience in the 70's and 80's. Free standing gyms were not nearly as common as now, but almost every rec center had one and aerobic classes were all the rage. Dancercize, Jazzercize, or just basic aerobics. Jogging was also very popular. Jane Fonda began releasing workout videos in 1982.

    But maybe I'm just from bizzaro land because I'm 53 and since I learned out how ride a bike as a child, there has never been a time in my life when I didn't own and ride one.

    Yeah, I just said I disagreed and remembered the time period, but since you spelled it out I'll agree -- I definitely remember aerobics being a big thing, my mom did Jazzercize and my parents went square dancing (LOL), the first jogging boom was in the '70s (Royko used to make fun of it in columns, but people did it), my parents had bikes, as well as my sister and I, weights were more for boys than girls until later in the '80s IME, but they were hardly uncommon, people would of course do things like play tennis, so on. Plus, Richard Simmons.

    Yep. When I was a kid in the '80s, I woke up every morning at 6 am to do Mousercise on The Disney Channel. I also did the Get in Shape, Girl tapes with my sister. Then from around 10 am until dinner when we were forced to come in, we were outside playing kickball, tag, Red Light, Green Light, double dutch, and a multitude of other games. Meanwhile, my mom would do workouts on TV with Richard Simmons, Susan Powter, Gilad's Bodies in Motion, and Tony Little. We also had a YMCA family membership for a while because it was cheap. Now in my area it's over $800 for a year at the Y, plus a joiner's fee since the cost of living has skyrocketed and gyms are all the rage now.

    Mousercise!
  • OhReally42
    OhReally42 Posts: 138 Member
    trjjoy wrote: »
    No-one is "naturally slim". Some people eat less than others. Other people have a higher NEAT than others. It's a question of CI < CO

    I have a friend that really is naturally thin. When she eats she eats everything but when she wants to lose weight it's not hard for her to lose weight. At least not in my eyes.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    OhReally42 wrote: »
    trjjoy wrote: »
    No-one is "naturally slim". Some people eat less than others. Other people have a higher NEAT than others. It's a question of CI < CO

    I have a friend that really is naturally thin. When she eats she eats everything but when she wants to lose weight it's not hard for her to lose weight. At least not in my eyes.

    The studies on this seem to suggest that most of the variance is due to exercise and eating less. None of us spend 24/7 around our friends . . . okay, at least I hope you don't
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    When asked why her son was so skinny, the mother responded, "I don't understand. He's eating me out of house and home, and he can't put on a pound." The other mother said, "He eats like a horse. I've never seen anything like it. Can't figure it out."

    It is beyond my comprehension that most of the posters here cannot acknowledge the obvious - there are naturally skinny people, particularly those under the age of 25. The word metabolism is in the dictionary for a reason. And for most of us, our metabolism slows as we get older.

    You just can't consume the same number of calories at 50 that you consumed at 21 (assuming similar amounts of exercise) without the consequence of weight gain. This is sky is blue and grass is green stuff.

    It's beyond my comprehension as well that people can't acknowledge that young adults are often much more active than adults even if they aren't doing intentional exercise.

    And as mentioned many times in this thread, yes, metabolism slows as you age, but not to the degree that people here seem to think. The far bigger factor is becoming less active as you age.

    Yep. Also, if they are growing, they will have higher metabolisms. Nothing surprising. And there's some degree of muscle loss on average -- that's why the calculators that estimate TDEE without BF% ask age, and the one that uses BF% doesn't need age.

    In the late 70's and early 80's, the only people that went to gyms were muscle heads. Running/jogging was not common. Bicycles were for kids.

    My assumption is the average 55-year-old does more exercise today than he or she did when they were 20. Been to a gym lately and see the older people?

    And they don't eat more at 55 than they ate at 20. Yet, if you ask most of them, they probably say they can't eat what they ate when they were 20.

    My parents cycled as children ... and continued to cycle as adults, through the 70s and 80s. When my brother and I came along, we cycled together as a family. We cycled longer distances on weekends and shorter distances during the week. And the bicycles came with us on vacations.

    In fact, both my parents are still cycling. As am I.

    I'm nearing 50 now, and do I exercise more than I did when I was 20? No ... probably about the same. :)
  • gabrielleelliott90
    gabrielleelliott90 Posts: 854 Member
    Usually young with fast metabolism, doesn't eat much, eats healthily or has an eating disorder.
  • Catnipp_
    Catnipp_ Posts: 27 Member
    Keep in mind natuarlly slim does not nesesarily equal "healthy" I know healthy fat people and unhealthy skinny people. We should focus LESS on looks and MORE in achieving fitness goals and supporting one another.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    Usually young with fast metabolism, doesn't eat much, eats healthily or has an eating disorder.

    Naturally thin does not equate to an eating disorder. Just because someone is thin doesn't make it okay to make personal judgements solely based off of of his or her weight.

    In fact, the word "naturally" actually implies such person does NOT have an eating disorder, but rather settles at a slim weight eating what feels normal to them without deliberately restricting like anorexics.

    Absolutely!

  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Usually young with fast metabolism, doesn't eat much, eats healthily or has an eating disorder.

    Naturally thin does not equate to an eating disorder. Just because someone is thin doesn't make it okay to make personal judgements solely based off of of his or her weight.

    In fact, the word "naturally" actually implies such person does NOT have an eating disorder, but rather settles at a slim weight eating what feels normal to them without deliberately restricting like anorexics.

    Absolutely!

    But why are you guys latching onto one out of four observations the person made? And are you sure that's not one possible reason an individual might not appear to have issues maintaining a low weight?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Usually young with fast metabolism, doesn't eat much, eats healthily or has an eating disorder.

    Naturally thin does not equate to an eating disorder. Just because someone is thin doesn't make it okay to make personal judgements solely based off of of his or her weight.

    In fact, the word "naturally" actually implies such person does NOT have an eating disorder, but rather settles at a slim weight eating what feels normal to them without deliberately restricting like anorexics.

    Absolutely!

    But why are you guys latching onto one out of four observations the person made? And are you sure that's not one possible reason an individual might not appear to have issues maintaining a low weight?

    Because ... that one kind of rubs me the wrong way. :) Over the years, the minute I drop a few kg, someone takes me aside and quietly asks me if I'm having some sort of eating difficulty. Even if I'm just going from the middle of my BMI down to the low end of my BMI because I've upped the amount of exercise I'm doing. It's like losing weight = eating disorder.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    edited July 2016
    Machka9 wrote: »
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Usually young with fast metabolism, doesn't eat much, eats healthily or has an eating disorder.

    Naturally thin does not equate to an eating disorder. Just because someone is thin doesn't make it okay to make personal judgements solely based off of of his or her weight.

    In fact, the word "naturally" actually implies such person does NOT have an eating disorder, but rather settles at a slim weight eating what feels normal to them without deliberately restricting like anorexics.

    Absolutely!

    But why are you guys latching onto one out of four observations the person made? And are you sure that's not one possible reason an individual might not appear to have issues maintaining a low weight?

    Because ... that one kind of rubs me the wrong way. :) Over the years, the minute I drop a few kg, someone takes me aside and quietly asks me if I'm having some sort of eating difficulty. Even if I'm just going from the middle of my BMI down to the low end of my BMI because I've upped the amount of exercise I'm doing. It's like losing weight = eating disorder.

    So it probably has more to do with you guys' own experiences, rather than the poster saying you had to have an eating disorder if you were thin. Which they didn't
  • emmadonaldson95
    emmadonaldson95 Posts: 179 Member
    Catnipp_ wrote: »
    Keep in mind natuarlly slim does not nesesarily equal "healthy" I know healthy fat people and unhealthy skinny people. We should focus LESS on looks and MORE in achieving fitness goals and supporting one another.

    I think i know what you meant here. However given that overweighr 'fat' people are more prone to diabetes, various cancers, heart problems etc. Due to their excessive weight i'm not sure we should go round calling them healthy because they must be making plenty unhealthy choices to maintain a high weight.
    Obviously their are other factors to health but you cannot truly be healthy when you're fat.
  • missh1967
    missh1967 Posts: 661 Member
    I loved Bodies In Motion! It wasn't early 80's, so later than the timeframe in the post above, but still a fun workout. That Gilad dude was a hoot!

    I'm going to have to see if those are available on DVD. That might be my workout this winter when I don't get outside much.

    collagevideo.com. Oodles of Gilad. ;)
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    I'miss loving the nostalgia in this thread. I also remember riding my bicycle as a kid in the 80s with my parents. At least in my neck of the woods, bicycling wasn't "just for kids." My mother also had some of the Jane Fonda, Denise Austin, etc..videos's. We didn't have a gym open in town until much later, but I was from a smaller town.
    Both of my grandmothers, now in their 80s, have mostly always been "naturally slim" people. My mother would complain sometimes about the amount of "junk food" her mother ate without gaining weight. However, what I notice about that grandma is that, when she cuts a piece of cake, pie, etc...it's a fraction of the size of everyone else's. She may eat one small hamburger and be full. She also is a naturally anxious person, so she's on her feet and in motion a lot.
    My other grandma is petite and doesn't move around well, but she is also one who doesn't need to eat much to be satisfied.
    So is it really "natural"?
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Catnipp_ wrote: »
    Keep in mind natuarlly slim does not nesesarily equal "healthy" I know healthy fat people and unhealthy skinny people. We should focus LESS on looks and MORE in achieving fitness goals and supporting one another.

    I think i know what you meant here. However given that overweighr 'fat' people are more prone to diabetes, various cancers, heart problems etc. Due to their excessive weight i'm not sure we should go round calling them healthy because they must be making plenty unhealthy choices to maintain a high weight.
    Obviously their are other factors to health but you cannot truly be healthy when you're fat.

    Yes, to a point. Being slightly overweight doesn't raise risk of many diseases. Obesity however raises the risk of many diseases. It's quite possible to be and remain healthy and be slightly overweight if you are active.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Catnipp_ wrote: »
    Keep in mind natuarlly slim does not nesesarily equal "healthy" I know healthy fat people and unhealthy skinny people. We should focus LESS on looks and MORE in achieving fitness goals and supporting one another.

    This completely ignores the fact that obesity is a major risk factor in a variety of health issues. No, being slim is no guaranty of being healthy, nor is any other healthy behavior. The statement above is simply a red herring. And no, I'm not here to support unhealthy habits or misinformation.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Catnipp_ wrote: »
    Keep in mind natuarlly slim does not nesesarily equal "healthy" I know healthy fat people and unhealthy skinny people. We should focus LESS on looks and MORE in achieving fitness goals and supporting one another.

    I think i know what you meant here. However given that overweighr 'fat' people are more prone to diabetes, various cancers, heart problems etc. Due to their excessive weight i'm not sure we should go round calling them healthy because they must be making plenty unhealthy choices to maintain a high weight.
    Obviously their are other factors to health but you cannot truly be healthy when you're fat.

    Exactly.

    Of course there are really overweight people who do not get diseases and live a long and happy life, just like there are pack-a-day smokers who live to 95 (and who smoked a pack the day before they died). But the correlation between being overweight/obese to so many illnesses and conditions is undeniable.

    Not a fan of glorifying these "plus-size" models. Of course we need plus-size models because most people are plus-size. But the new message is, "you're overweight but you still are beautiful, so don't worry about being overweight.

    And the medical profession's solution? Take this pill, take that pill, inject this, inject that.

    And what would you have them do if the "lose the weight" instruction obviously wasn't carried out?
  • gonetothedogs19
    gonetothedogs19 Posts: 325 Member
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    Catnipp_ wrote: »
    Keep in mind natuarlly slim does not nesesarily equal "healthy" I know healthy fat people and unhealthy skinny people. We should focus LESS on looks and MORE in achieving fitness goals and supporting one another.

    I think i know what you meant here. However given that overweighr 'fat' people are more prone to diabetes, various cancers, heart problems etc. Due to their excessive weight i'm not sure we should go round calling them healthy because they must be making plenty unhealthy choices to maintain a high weight.
    Obviously their are other factors to health but you cannot truly be healthy when you're fat.

    Exactly.

    Of course there are really overweight people who do not get diseases and live a long and happy life, just like there are pack-a-day smokers who live to 95 (and who smoked a pack the day before they died). But the correlation between being overweight/obese to so many illnesses and conditions is undeniable.

    Not a fan of glorifying these "plus-size" models. Of course we need plus-size models because most people are plus-size. But the new message is, "you're overweight but you still are beautiful, so don't worry about being overweight.

    And the medical profession's solution? Take this pill, take that pill, inject this, inject that.

    And what would you have them do if the "lose the weight" instruction obviously wasn't carried out?

    The "lose the weight" instruction is typically stated in seconds. When I was overweight and on statins, my doctor would say, "remember, diet and exercise!" That is meaningless pablum, and many patients get this meaningless pablum as advise. And then they give you the prescription.
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