Why Are Thin People Not Fat? (Video)
Replies
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Calories in, calories out.
If you're gaining the weight back, you are getting off track. That simple.
Stop looking for excuses.
It's not excuses, it's reasons. Sorry to pick on your post as an example, but I see these kinds of comments so often, and not just on MFP! Whenever there's something that sheds light on weight gain, it gets dismissed as "excuses". But don't you think there's some value in finding out the reasons why people become fat? Surely that's useful?
The point is, that thin people aren't necessarily thin because they keep "on track". They stay that weight without trying. I can vouch for that, having done it myself for years. It's not true that slim people count calories and fat people don't. "Calories in, calories out" doesn't help to explain why some people naturally eat too many calories whereas some people naturally eat just the right amount. If we can understand that, it might help.
And sorry again, this isn't meant to a rant at you - it's just something that I see all the time, and it's frustrating.0 -
Ill have to save this for later.0
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bump0
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Cliffs:
When your body cannot store any more fat in it's existing cells, it creates new fat cells.
You cannot get rid of fat cells once your body has created them.
Thin people don't have as many fat cells in your body, therefore it is harder for thin people to gain weight.0 -
I saw this Doco a few years back, and also found it really interesting (as I am a "hard gainer" myself)...It was nice to have an explanation as to why I may be the way I am...other than just thinking I have a stupidly fast metabolism...0
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That was amazing! And slightly scary! I was slim as a child until 9 years old, when I started comfort eating. I've had a weight problem ever since
am also slightly worried for my niece, as my sister feeds her such crap! My mum is obese (due to alcoholism) my dad is obese (alcohol again), my sister is overweight now since having a baby and I am obese. I eat the most healthy though out of all of them! I maintained a size 12 from age 11 until I started contraception at 16. Ever since then ive gone up a dress size a year probably. It really is remarkable how our bodies work. But the bit at the end was the bit that truly scared me; the people who lost weight and were permanently hungry because their body saw obesity as it's normal weight. That is terrifying, and I sure hope that my body doesn't feel that way! 0 -
Calories in, calories out.
If you're gaining the weight back, you are getting off track. That simple.
Stop looking for excuses.
A stunning example of how simple it is to register and post at MFP.
Even a child can do it.
Well done techies!0 -
The "set weight" or "set point" theory was first established by Ancel Keys in his Minnesota Semi-Starvation Experiment. Essentially, we have physiological differences that cause some people to be more resilient to further weight loss or weight gain beyond a certain point than others. Although I believe genetics plays a significant role, ones eating and exercise habits likely has a strong, contributing influence towards their "set weight." I am sure if every subject in the study would have eaten that amount of calories, in the absence of exercise, throughout their adult lives, they would have become quite fat. It's just some would end up gaining more rapidly than others.
Another key discussion involved the hormone Leptin, which is the master hormone of the body and is responsible for regulating energy balance and satiety. Leptin serum concentration levels are monitored by various Leptin receptors throughout the body. Typically, as a person becomes more fat, not only do Leptin levels increase, but the receptors' accuracy in monitoring such levels become impaired. Thus a person does not get the appropriate message that they have exceeded energy needs and should stop eating. This leptin resistance, is one symptom of the Metabolic Syndrome and usually is a precursor to others including insulin resistance. Leptin resistance is also observed among those with eating disorders such as Anorexia.0 -
I eat the most healthy though out of all of them! I maintained a size 12 from age 11 until I started contraception at 16. Ever since then ive gone up a dress size a year probably. It really is remarkable how our bodies work.
This is EXACTLY when I gained weight. I went on birth control when I was 17 and by the time I graduated at 18 had gained 15 pounds. I'm positive that my hormones play a HUGE role in my weight. My doctors were always pushing different pills on me to try to control various things (I had endometriosis, adenomyosis, and fibroids). I wish hormones were more studied, so the medical community could understand long term effects of using birth control before prescribing it like candy.0 -
This was a very interesting documentary, and was scary in many ways. I have 2 daughters. 1 is 10 and has been overweight since 1st grade. She has a very large belly while the rest of her body is a normal size. My other daughter is 7 and can eat constantly without gaining any weight. Just bought her a communion dress and she had to get a 6x so that it wasn't too big on her. My thinner daughter eat much more than my overweight daughter. They are equally active.
Watching this video makes me worry about my overweight daughter because I'm sure all her fat cells have already multiplied. Weight for her will probably always be an issue. No one informs you of this as a parent of a newborn...0 -
Bump because I'm intrigued.0
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This was a very interesting documentary, and was scary in many ways. I have 2 daughters. 1 is 10 and has been overweight since 1st grade. She has a very large belly while the rest of her body is a normal size. My other daughter is 7 and can eat constantly without gaining any weight. Just bought her a communion dress and she had to get a 6x so that it wasn't too big on her. My thinner daughter eat much more than my overweight daughter. They are equally active.
Watching this video makes me worry about my overweight daughter because I'm sure all her fat cells have already multiplied. Weight for her will probably always be an issue. No one informs you of this as a parent of a newborn...
No, while a lot of people intuitively know that some people just don't gain while other do, it's not something that's commonly accepted throughout society, the media and the medical community in America. We keep getting the tired, EAT LESS, MOVE MORE spiel, which has merit, to be sure, but is a gross simplification of all the variables.0 -
I liked the experiment with the children. Where some would stop eating when they were full and others just kept eating, even after saying they weren't hungry. They didn't want to do the fun activities, they just wanted to keep eating instead.
It's been several months since I've watched this video, but it is super interesting.0 -
This was a very interesting documentary, and was scary in many ways. I have 2 daughters. 1 is 10 and has been overweight since 1st grade. She has a very large belly while the rest of her body is a normal size. My other daughter is 7 and can eat constantly without gaining any weight. Just bought her a communion dress and she had to get a 6x so that it wasn't too big on her. My thinner daughter eat much more than my overweight daughter. They are equally active.
Watching this video makes me worry about my overweight daughter because I'm sure all her fat cells have already multiplied. Weight for her will probably always be an issue. No one informs you of this as a parent of a newborn...
Just out of curiosity, were both daughters delivered in the same manner? There is a school of thought out there that the microbe colonies we have as humans begins with vaginal delivery, and is disrupted through cesarean birth.0 -
Both vaginal deliveries, although my oldest daughter I had to have pitocin because my water broke and she still wasn't coming after 19 hours of labor.0
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oh my god, this perfectly explains why people plateau....(myself included)
im quite naturally slim but not SUPER slim....Im trying to get super slim as opposed to just slim but my body doesn't want to....!
this explains EVERYTHING!0 -
Save for later.0
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Bump0
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Bumping so I remember to watch later.0
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I liked the experiment with the children. Where some would stop eating when they were full and others just kept eating, even after saying they weren't hungry. They didn't want to do the fun activities, they just wanted to keep eating instead.
It's been several months since I've watched this video, but it is super interesting.
Yes, I found that part interesting. I've always been the first type, yet eventually became very obese. My boyfriend always comments that he likes going out for a meal with me because he gets to eat a meal and a half - I never seem to finish a whole meal when we're out! My son is the other way with foods he really likes - he could start eating something and not stop until he'd finished the packet. He is slim with low body fat. It's interesting that those differences show so young. In my experience, obviously it doesn't correlate to weight gain the way you'd think, but some of that might be age related. (I wasn't overweight until around 40).0 -
The video was VERY interesting; thanks for the share!0
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Calories in, calories out.
If you're gaining the weight back, you are getting off track. That simple.
Stop looking for excuses.
It's not excuses, it's reasons. Sorry to pick on your post as an example, but I see these kinds of comments so often, and not just on MFP! Whenever there's something that sheds light on weight gain, it gets dismissed as "excuses". But don't you think there's some value in finding out the reasons why people become fat? Surely that's useful?
The point is, that thin people aren't necessarily thin because they keep "on track". They stay that weight without trying. I can vouch for that, having done it myself for years. It's not true that slim people count calories and fat people don't. "Calories in, calories out" doesn't help to explain why some people naturally eat too many calories whereas some people naturally eat just the right amount. If we can understand that, it might help.
And sorry again, this isn't meant to a rant at you - it's just something that I see all the time, and it's frustrating.
Well said.0 -
bump to watch later0
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Thanks for posting op, will watch later. I think I might have seen this documentary before or one like it, judging by comments above about the skinny people in the video finding it hard to overeat.0
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I'll have to check this out while I'm not at work.0
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bump for later0
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I'll try to watch this during lunch...0
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The point is, that thin people aren't necessarily thin because they keep "on track". They stay that weight without trying. I can vouch for that, having done it myself for years. It's not true that slim people count calories and fat people don't. "Calories in, calories out" doesn't help to explain why some people naturally eat too many calories whereas some people naturally eat just the right amount. If we can understand that, it might help.
Yes and no. Everyone has a different level of calories they need, to get the goals they want.
And sure, some people don't have to try at all. It stinks that Nancy can eat 2500 calories and not gain a pound, while I maintain only at around 2000. Life isn't fair. But we only have the body we have, so, what other people do is totally irrelevant.
Either you want it enough to work with what your body and mind actually does, or you don't.0 -
The point is, that thin people aren't necessarily thin because they keep "on track". They stay that weight without trying. I can vouch for that, having done it myself for years. It's not true that slim people count calories and fat people don't. "Calories in, calories out" doesn't help to explain why some people naturally eat too many calories whereas some people naturally eat just the right amount. If we can understand that, it might help.
Yes and no. Everyone has a different level of calories they need, to get the goals they want.
And sure, some people don't have to try at all. It stinks that Nancy can eat 2500 calories and not gain a pound, while I maintain only at around 2000. Life isn't fair. But we only have the body we have, so, what other people do is totally irrelevant.
Either you want it enough to work with what your body and mind actually does, or you don't.
True, but I don't think that was really what the programme was showing. The naturally slim people weren't slim because they had a higher TDEE (as far as I know - and it is a while since I watched it. I must watch it again), but because they "naturally" maintained their weight quite precisely without having to think about it. In fact, they found it difficult to overeat and gain weight when they tried to.
Now that I'm more aware of calorie counting I find it really interesting that my weight stayed exactly the same (within a few pounds, apart from pregnancy) for so many years, despite changes in diet, activity level, job, drinking habits, etc. I've always been short, so I don't suppose I ever had a huge TDEE! So those naturally slim people aren't "other people" to me. They're very much like I was a few years ago.
Before I started losing weight, I experimented with eating "naturally", like those slim people, and found that the exactly the same thing happened - I maintained my weight within a very few pounds without trying. The problem was that the weight was much to high! But I found it interesting that even while very obese, if I didn't control my eating, I didn't gain or lose weight at all. I'm curious to know what it is that so dramatically can alter our "set point". Is it just age, hormones, or ...? (As I mentioned, lifestyle change didn't make any difference in the past).
Watching this documentary and others, it seems that fat people may be altered in some way (either through the process of becoming fat, or for some other reason - it's not clear), and that those changes might not disappear just through losing the weight.
What I do know is that is the differences in my weight were not caused by differences in my level of willpower
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Wow! I was overweight for most of my childhood and this really explained a lot. Thank goodness for spring break (had the time to watch this).
Kind of in limbo whether this is an encouraging or discoraging documentary though!0
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