To think that obesity mostly has to do with your genes

[penandpaperlife]

I've been living with my best friend for a year now due to some personal issues with my STBXH, and this has been something I've been wondering about. My best friend eats the exact same thing as me, with the same exact portion size. She also snacks on nuts and/or biscuits throughout the day (we're a freelance team so we spend basically all day together) while I don't.

Why then, is she slim and I'm not?

The only difference in our lifestyle is that she goes for a 15min run every morning. I've read studies and charts though and that seems to only burn about 150kcals. Surely that wouldn't even offset her snacks? I come from a 'fat family', she doesn't. We're both almost 30, if that matters. That leads me to believe that genetics do play a huge part here, contrary to what's often being parroted in the press. Is that possible? Does anyone have any experience with this?

In the past people didn’t have access to as many calories, so those more likely to eat more and put on weight literally couldn’t.

Well, there you go then. Thermodynamics.

As for 'the urge' to eat more - yep, that's a thing. But food doesn't jump into one's mouth out of its own volition. Just because you want, doesn't mean you should.

Barring a very small percentage on medications or with certain conditions, people aren't going to become obese in a genuinely healthy diet. However, there are people who eat massive amounts of shite and remain slim. And no, they are not all secret marathon runners, nor is it all an optical illusion. My friend, of the same age and approximate height, eats close to 4000 calories a day (kept a good diary for a while to check this). She isn't healthy, as most of what she eats is junk, but she is slim. No running/ swimming, no exercise except walking to work or the shops, drives anywhere further.

If I led her lifestyle, I would be obese. Calories in Vs calories out, sure. But people can have massively varied metabolisms.

Now that we have access to all the calories we could possibly want, it becomes apparent who has the urges to eat more

No. It’s only apparent who has given in those urges. And who has made sensible/ less sensible choices about how to satisfy these urges when they do decide to eat.

With regards to "there were no fat people in the past"- bollocks. There were far fewer and it would have been especially unusual to see overweight young people, but there were still overweight people. Even during rationing (the calories permitted within rationing were quite high, if I remember correctly. Even accounting for a more active lifestyle, for some people it would have been a lot.)

@SimonJT

I'm always saying this and get shot down. Friend of mine works training marines. He always says eat less than you consume and you'll lose weight.

It always makes me laugh when people say but honestly
I'm only eating 1200 calories.

Op, do you eat exactly the same portion sizes as your best friend? I’m amazed at the amount of food that some people can manage to eat!

Ah, the health argument has been wheeled out.

One can be unhealthy DESPITE being slim, but one's slimness will not be the cause of one being unhealthy.

(Pre-emptive Disclaimer: anorexics are unhealthy. We all know that. But, until 2/3 of all UK adults are anorexic, this won't be as big a social/health problem as obesity, so that's a weak counterargument. As it stands, 2/3 of UK adults are overweight or obese, so it's not really comparable.)

However, every obese person is unhealthy simply because they are obese. Obesity is never healthy, and one cannot be obese and healthy. The consequences of obesity may not have caught up with an individual YET - but they will eventually, usually sooner rather than later.

@Hoppinggreen

Your body goes into starvation mode for a while. So lays down fat if you don't eat enough

But as others have pointed out. It wouldn't last long. Otherwise you'd see day people in third worlds. Or in concentration camps etc.

DH can eat whatever he wants and doesn't gain!

I'm slim and eat whatever I want but if I have a chocolate muffin and a cappuccino for elevenses I'm not hungry enough for a sandwich at lunch.

So I skip the sandwich!

I think certain body types mean you are more likely to put on weight in different areas of your body.

My body type is described as ‘ectomorph’ which apparently means it is hard for me to put on fat or muscle. My whole life I have heard, ‘you’re so lucky to be so slim’.

My reality? I have worked out since my late teens (including long distance running). I watch what I eat, constantly (when I take my kids for pizza, I order salad not pizza). I don’t eat late at night and don’t snack late at night. I drink lots of water. I avoid alcohol 4/5 nights a week unless out due to empty calories. When I went through a period of dining out on work related jobs, I eat a fraction of the ridiculously rich food served as part of 3 (sometimes 5) courses.

Can I eat what I want and stay the size I am? No.
I have to either workout more (if I increase calories) or imbibe less calories if my workouts are reduced (like now).

Does my body shape lend to me looking the way I do? Yes and that is nothing but genetics.
But my weight? Lifestyle choices, on a daily basis.

I think some people have a higher metabolism than others.

I think there is both a genetic and nuture based element of obesity.
I have a theory that the obesity gene is switched on depending on lifestyle factors which is then passed on. My evidence for this is purely anecedotal and based on my limited knowledge of epi-genetics.
For those who talk about having obese families surely there are learnt behaviour and lifestyle choice elements to this which are also passed on through generations.
I have friends who are obese. Their children are also obese. They eat huge portions of a relatively normal diet and they are pretty sedentary. Their children are going to be obese adults as their parents have already instilled their idea of what is normal when it comes to eating and exercise and unless they make a conscious effort to change that then they will do the same with their families in the future.

At my work (warehouse, very physical job) NOBODY is fat out of all of us.... but some of the office staff are overweight..I've noticed this pattern in different (strenuous) warehouses I've worked in. Not exactly a mystery. Calories in vs calories out...

I'm completely baffled that SO many people seem to believe the body can create loads of fat cells from absolutely nothing, just thin air... How are the fat cells created then..? If not because of excess calories... what is the body using to create all of these fat cells in an obese person?

Hoggleludo yes I know.
I’m sure I must eat more than I need or I wouldn’t be fat, I do believe that it’s as simple as calories in vs calories burnt but I (and my GP and family) are baffled as to why I’m so overweight. We got a dog 4 years ago and I am so much more active since we got him, I’m fitter but I havent lost a single lb since I started walking a couple of miles at least every single day. Logic suggests I must have also increased my calorie intake too but I’m sure I haven’t.
I may have pcos (some symptoms but as I get pg so easily my GP didn’t to investigate, which has been suggested as a reason but I just don’t know

They've broken physics and solved the energy crisis all in one go?

Also I am sure that if I halved my calorie intake I would lose weight but it’s around 2000 per day so not excessive anyway..
Ironically I lost 2 stone while pg so I CAN lose weight but due to HG I literally had maybe 2 milkshakes most days and nothing else. Occasionally I had some soup and bread if I could manage it.
So I cut my calorific intake by around 2/3 while also growing a baby and lost 2 stone in 12 months (had a Mc so was pg for a year in effect) but I would expect it to be more

I have pcos.

The dr explained to me that it doesnt make you fat. It can make you insulin resistant.

Lower carb diets are better for those with pcos. Especially if you are cutting processed carbs.

I am tall and willowy from a genetic point of view - my DC are both exactly the same (DS1 is 14 and 6 foot 4 with size 14 feet, DS2 is 9 and 5 foot 2 with size 6 feet). We would have to eat catastrophically badly for a prolonged period of time to gain much weight - however we're all very sporty and active.

However, I think mental health and emotional health play a huge part in body weight and size, too. A friend of mine is the same height as me and weighs 6 stone more. Once every few years she'll diet, lose 5 stone and feel great for a short time, then gradually if things get tough she'll creep back up to her bigger size, feel bad about herself and gain more. It's such a tough cycle for her to be in, and one she finds very difficult. I don't binge, but I don't diet either. Food is lovely but very much not my focus - I don't get comfort or warmth from it the way my friend does, and that's the only difference I can see between us and our sizes.

'Starvation mode' making people fat is a MYTH. Your body cannot make extra fat if it isn't given the energy to put into the bonds in the fat molecules. In a period of prolonged severe calorie reduction your body will begin to shut down non-essential metabolic processes but even then the reduction in your calorie needs only goes down by a few percent, as there aren't that many non-essential metabolic processes in the body. Your body does not 'choose' to hold on to your fat reserves. That is literally what they are there for. Metabolism is metabolism, it doesn't pick and choose what reactions it carries out based on whether you had breakfast that morning.

2000kcal per day IS excessive for the average woman, especially if sedentary. I am 5ft4 and 60kg. If I ate 2000kcal a day, I would be very fat very very quickly.

Those not sure if they can lose weight try eating 1000 calories a day for a few weeks and see how that goes. I promise you will not die of starvation.

I am tall. If I ate 2000 calories a day, I would not be as slim as I am. I probably hit the 1400 calories a day mark most days.

Most women do not need 2000 calories a day