Naturally skinny vs naturally fat

Kotuliak

OK, many will probably not even consider this a valid question. But the fact remains that there are people who do not artificially limit the calorie intake and who don't even exercise (or exercise very little and infrequently) - yet they maintain healthy weight.

Other people, including most of us here at MFP, have to consciously limit the calorie intake in order to reach and maintain healthy weight - and we have to put special effort into maintaining the altered lifestyle forever, otherwise we'll end up overweight again, in no time at all. (And many of us have done so in the past.)

What is that makes the difference? Genes? Lifestyle? Neither appears to be the full answer...

Just curious what people's thoughts are...

stefjc

Both.... is the current thinking.

We can be genetically predisposed to gain weight if we are exposed to what is labelled an 'obesogenic environment' (I do love a long word )

That sort of explains why whole families tend towards similar body shapes/weights.

So squillions of people can be genetically predisposed but never live in a 'fat way' so never gain weight! Or they are not genetically predisposed and so can remain thin in even the fattest of societies.

Obviously those of us here are both genetically predisposed and have lived a life that encourages over eating.... think grandparents and their exhortations to clean your plate 'think of the starving millions' etc. Fast food shops, snack eating, sugar used as a preservative in lots of foods, etc etc etc.

bakemma

I thought this video was pretty cool for an explanation... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt-qKTaEMIQ

Kotuliak

I thought this video was pretty cool for an explanation... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt-qKTaEMIQ

Very informative! Thanks.

helenrosemay

Some people think it's their genes, but both my parents and my brother are thin and have always been thin, I have not. I over ate and wasn't active, they did not and were active. So personally I think it's down to each individual. We all know if we eat too many calories and don't burn it off with exercise or movement we will put on weight. The fact some people don't seem to put on any weight ever, well we don't know what they do behind closed doors. We don't know how active or how much exercise they do when we're not around and we don't know what they eat when we're not around, so no one can really know for sure if they are naturally thin or others are naturally fat.

in_the_stars

Genes.