to think that people's weight is mostly down to how they're made?

[blackwell]

OK, I know there are a few people who either overeat massively or starve, but I think that in general if people are 'heavily built' or 'lightly built' that is just how they are. I would say most of my friends eat roughly the same amount, yet there is quite a big difference in size between us. Some people are just naturally slim and maintain it without effort, and others are naturally bigger and it would take a massive effort for them to maintain a size 8/10 whatever.

It's a massively unscientific theory, I know, mainly based on my personal acquaintance!

yabu. I was very slim and at some points skinny when wasn't eating properly due to eating diorder. I am now in the over weight category - 14/16 and thats because I developed a different eating problem - comfort eating. A million times happier like this than I was when annorexic though!

Am working on being more healthy now, have had counselling to deal with family issues and baby loss. And I go to gym and swim so am getting there - and at least not getting any bigger.

But it is definetly ME that caused it as I have eaten too much over past few years.

Dinosaur, I have similar boys.
DS1 eats a huge amount, far more than I do. He is constantly moving, plays a lot of sport, never sits still, skinny as a rake, slight build.
DS2 eats very little, likes to sit and play rather than hare about and is solidly built, you can see he could easily get chubby.

The battle for DS1 will be adjusting his fod intake as he gets older and cannot physically keep up with that level of activity, unless he has a very physically demanding job I suppose.

proudnscary can I live with you pleae? I love everything you are eating today!

Lovelymumma maybe just look up what treatments there are for hypoglycemia, I don't know what the medical advice would be? It does sound like that is what you have though, just got to look at what to do about it.

Laska, quite right. Genetics obviously play a part for an individual's weight and shape, but the genetics in our society haven't changed in the last 30 years.

Oh I meant Horton not prounscary!

Cant read this all just now as am at work, will have to wait until later.

But for those moaning about skinnies who eat LOADS, I saw an article once where they did a body scan (or something?!) of 2 people - one who fell in to the over weight category but ate healthily and exercised every day. And one who ate crap and was thin. Showed the bigger lady to be much much healthier and the thin lady had loads of fat around her heart etc.

Agree re France - saw ONE overweight (not even obese) French lady while we were there. Everyone else is a a healthy weight - nicely slim without being too skinny.

I think it is because -

(1) They eat good healthy food.

(2) It is a culture which really values food. So all the shops close for two hours at lunch time so everyone can have a good lunch.

(3) Because of the above, there is space in peoples lifestyles for regular meals at sensible times. Its the same in Italy and Greece (where I have lived for a few years). People are much more disciplined - large meal at lunch time, smaller supper at sensible time. In our culture we don't prioritise food - often we grab a snack late at night in front of the TV once we have got the kids in bed. We don't eat a really good lunch.

In France at motorway service stations, you see people getting themselves a proper lunch - salad, bread, main course, pudding, water, glass wine, coffee. Just because they are travelling, that is no reason not to eat a good lunch. I am sure it is better to eat the largest meal at lunch time rather than sandwiches as we do.

In Italy, no one except a Brit would drink eg a Cappuccino after about 10am, as the milk would sit on the stomach and still be there at lunch time when you ate your lunch. Espressos only after 10! They wouldn't eat a huge plate of pasta for supper - again as all that carb would sit on the stomach all night. They are obsessed with digestion and what they are putting into their bodies when.

I lost weight when I stopped bf-ing, but that's probably because I'd gone back to work (in a very active job) and spent less time sat on the sofa feeding ds eating biscuits [hgrin]

I do think that my metabolism compensated for a reduced calorie intake when I dieted though. I'd lose a bit, stick to the plan, stall, cut back a bit more, stall again - and then put on weight

I think there is a difference here between size and shape, in thar, medical conditions aside, we could all get to a healthy bmi if we ate/ exercised accordingly, but even then we are all hugely varied shapes- compare a tour de france cyclist with usain bolt or a javelin thrower- all v fit, low body fat, but v v different basic shapes.

"I think a lot of overweight people want there to be some unfair, mystical, secret advantage that slim people have."

But I'm thin, and I do think there is some mysterious advantage that I have! I should be heavier, I think. I would love someone to write down, accurately, everything I eat and do in a day and see whether it's a lot or not. I will never remember to do it myself.

There's a celeb trainer in Australia, who is now pretty much a celeb herself, who I really rate. She has a blog and did an entry on this topic. I wont link because it wont take you to the exact entry I'm talking about but here's what she said, and its thought provoking even though I do tend to think people can be more prone to fat storage than others depending on certain genetics and build/hormonal factors.

"I read an article recently about whether someone being ?naturally thin? really exists. As a former fat chick, I found this most intriguing. While I believe that while there are many factors involved in influencing our metabolism, in my experience, if you spent a day shadowing a ?naturally thin? person, you?d likely find yourself starving and exhausted! I have known many lean individuals who claim not to do any exercise and that they eat whatever and whenever they like. While this makes many of us mere mortals green with envy, I challenge you to try keeping up with that person for a day. While they may not participate in intentional exercise, they usually move quickly, and a lot. Very rarely will you find the elusive ?metabolically blessed? ones slumped on the sofa. They jig their legs when sitting and generally get from A to B pretty quickly. Another observation is that thin people are usually completely emotionally detached from food. Unlike emotional/stress eaters, they tend to lose their appetite when upset or stressed. They will often ?forget? to eat as food is not particularly important to them. While they may eat whatever they like, they probably only eat it once a day and don?t graze between meals, therefore consuming fewer calories than most. At the end of the day, hormones, genetics, etc will always play a role in our propensity to be thin or overweight, however, for me lifestyle is still the most significant factor

WRT to France - there are a lot of tubby French people where we go (adults and children). Perhaps it's a regional and/or a class thing. The Mutant near Avranches is tubbytastic.

I tend to think that being overweight is predominantly caused by overeating but I do take the point that to a certain degree your shape is genetic. Wide set shoulders, hips and large muscular carves will prevent some body types from ever looking like Kate Moss, no matter how little they eat/much they exercise. I realise I am lucky, I am tall and can eat around 2000 calories a day and remain a size 8 to 10. I don't pay attention to cals in alcohol so any I consume is extra to the approx 2000 cals I have daily. I don't do much excursive other than a bit if walking pushing a buggy and chasing round after my dc.

Reading Lauriefairycake's post was a real eyeopener for me. It must be so hard to control weight if you can only eat as little as 1500 cals a day to prevent gain. You are very disciplined, Laurie. Good luck with your loss.

And Italy - I know a lot of tubby Italians, too. Middle aged ones. Maybe it's all those carbs or something. And perhaps again it's regional (they're mainly Sicilian, with a couple of Neopolitans thrown in).

Bumpsadaisy-

Oh how I agree with you. The current overweight epidemic hitting the UK comes with our love of the US lifestyle, high fat foods at all hours of the day, grazing thru the day rather than having proper meals at proper mealtimes, snacking etc.

I always get utterly perplexed by all the women who become hugely obese during pregnancy, then complain they can't lose it afterwards... WTF are they doing gaining it all during pregnancy anyway ?? Thats another phenomenon that doesn't seem to occur in the mediterranean nations.

Also some of these 'naturally thin' people may have a medical condition that makes them so. It may be undiagnosed or maybe they don't want to tell you. My mum has coeliac disease. For years she was mega skinny - because she couldn't digest her food properly! People thought she was so lucky to be so thin! Since diagnosis and a gluten free diet she has put on a couple of stone. I also had a friend with cystic fibrosis who also ate loads but stayed thin due to digestive problems. She didn't tell most people about her condition and I'm sure people were amazed when they saw her eat. High fat - high calorie food was a necessity for her. Not everything is as it seems.

But aspects of 'lifestyle' here - natural activity levels and hunger - are, as has been show, inherent and probably affected by genes.
Leonie, there is evidence that either GI dieting or lowcarbing help people at risk of diabetes through insulin resistance (which is not a rare problem at all, neither are thyroid problems 'rare' in older women, actually).
You are almost certainly having problems with insulin resistance already and cutting out refined sugar and simple carbs (white bread/rice/pasta) will help, as will upping protein levels and eating more veg than fruit. It's all easier said than done though!

I don't think 2 miles a day is awfully far, actually, although it's usually more like 1 mile. Apparently walking a mile burns about 100 calories on average. So that's one biscuit taken care of but not the rest of my probably 2000+ calories.

Come over, discobeaver! But bring extra milk. DH, DD and I (all skinny) will probably be eating about a pint of parsley sauce between us.

I am very impressed by your ability to be starjumping whilst posting on MN LeQueen, respect.

I do think it gets harder as you get older though. When I was at college I was an 8/10 - didn't pay a blind bit of notice to what I was eating.

Now I have DD I am a 14 - and it is much hard to get my weight down. Its quite a shock really and it is getting me down.

Part of the problem is that we moved away from an urban setting (where you walk everywhere). But I wonder if once you have kids your body knows and conserves fat more so that you will be around for your babies!