Two thirds of adults in England are obese or overweight. It would make as much sense to ask what is different about the other one third.

[H0TK]

This was a comment I read elsewhere. I thought it was an interesting comment.

Rather than wondering what is wrong with overweight people and why they eat like they do. What is different about the people who are not overweight?

I reckon they have more naturally occurring hormone of whatever is in mounjaro. I was a compulsive eater until I started on mounjaro now I have virtually no 'food noise' have stopped snacking and only eat when I'm hungry. I reckon this is how naturally slim people feel most of the time.

This is exactly how my family was. We walked a lot, nothing was banned or frowned upon so we had no reason to eat too much of it because it wasn’t an ‘issue’. I was always slim up until I started dieting as I thought it was the done thing after having my first baby. From then on in came decades of yoyo dieting and an eating disorder.

The rest of my family - 2 parents and 2 sisters are all still slim and none of them have ever dieted. I’m the only one who ever did and the only one who is fat!

I'd tell you it's things like advance planning around big meals etc which to some extent it is, but frankly I really, really enjoy the feeling of control I get from not eating. It gives me a kind of perverse buzz. Which isn't healthy as such, but I'm a healthy weight and not underweight, just with an extremely messed up relationship to food. I can be honest about this on an anon forum in a way I can't irl.

It’s quite worrying. That’s one way EDs can being or manifest. Just be aware and look after yourself.

That's some generalisation.
I know many people who are slim but not rich and many who are fat but not poor.

They can’t fathom that normal people don’t obsess over food.

Can you fathom that it's not a choice to obsess over food? I don't smoke, should I get a medal for my amazing willpower and strength not to smoke? While I actually have no desire to smoke whatsoever and do not think about it?

Loving this, a thread for all the skinny people to talk about how amazing they are.

I think it's just too easy to put on weight these days.
Our lifestyles are generally very sedentary and it's easy to pack in the calories with processed foods, even if you aren't necessarily eating high volumes.

I have a bmi within the normal range. It's really not rocket science. We have normalised enormous portion sizes and most people eat far too much to maintain a healthy weight.

I think its a huge misconception that anyone who is a normal weight, or underweight, does not think about, or obsess about food!

When I was slim I could eat anything and people would comment, how come you’re always eating and stay so slim? I did zero exercise. I was just naturally slim with no effort, no calorie counting, no food restrictions. I can't say the same nowadays unfortunately.

This is totally inaccurate. There are conditions where you can be grossly obese on 700 calories a day. Some of these conditions mean that people need a high level of care so it is parents and/or carers who prepare the meals and count the calories - the person is not simply miscalculating. It is also possible for people without any diagnosable condition to become overweight on this level of calorie intake too and there are doctors who now recognise this. Like any other system in the body, the metabolism can break or become damaged. The body is more than capable of storing fat before basic energy needs are met, hence atypical anorexia now being recognised as a genuine eating disorder.

Alcohol consumption is steadily down. On the whole we drink a lot less than 20, 40 or 60 years ago

I'm a normal weight because I have intracranial hypertension, meaning that weight gain affects my eyesight and causes headaches.

I have to work hard, diet-wise, to maintain my weight. I'm always a bit hungry tbh.

My body seems to want to be mildly overweight. Doesn't help that I loathe most forms of exercise.

Loads of thin people I've known eat rubbish. They just eat smaller portions of rubbish and/or are active.

Would never define myself as slim, but have always been a 'healthy weight' although I would be happier a stone lighter.

Truth be told I have very disordered eating. I fast from 8pm 'til midday the next day. Have a 500 calorie lunch, no snacks, I'll have dinner, I don't typically count the calories there, but it's usually something like a stir fry, jacket potato, thin based pizza or pasta. Followed by something sweet but small (i do have a sweet tooth)

I drink alot of water, no juice or fizzy drinks, very rarely drink alcohol.

I am 5"6.5cm and 10.7 stone, 40 years old and going through menopause early thanks to having cancer back in 2023 and a radical hysterectomy afterwards, the weight just seems to stick and not budge.

I'm aware I do have very dysmorphic views about my body though which is not recommended!

I don't attach emotional value to food - it's purely fuel for me. I enjoy flavours and good food but I only see it as a means to an end.

I also don't eat until my stomach is rumbling. That's my signal to eat rather than the time or anything else.

I have food intolerances and ibs which doesn't help. I have lots of days where I can't eat much because I don't feel well.

Growing up, we had everything in moderation and didn't snack and I've carried that habit on. No food is assigned any particular value, so I don't crave it.

I am frugal and hate spending money on takeaways and restaurant meals. I'm a good cook and prefer to cook my own food.

I don't understand the concept of "food noise" like I've heard others talk about. I just don't get it.

I do think a huge part of whether someone is overweight or not is in our brains, as opposed to just our habits (but they also play a part).

That's not to say I couldn't demolish a huge bar of chocolate if I'm premenstrual though 😂

I've always been slim, and so has my husband. It is partly genetics on both sides, but we also don't eat absolutely loads. I remember reading on here about how 'small' Gousto box serving sizes were. We get one occasionally, and find the portions to be more than enough! I love puddings, but don't eat one every night. I enjoy everything in moderation. I am lucky I find that easy though. Not everybody does.

One word - luck

Luck -genes
Luck - no food noise
Luck -your body works to tell your brain it’s full
Luck your vagus nerve doesn’t necessitate the need to chew to dial down fight or flight many times each day
Luck your mental health doesn’t lead to binge/comfort eating
Luck you’re not an adult who was an abused child
Luck you’re not having to use food as a way to south trauma
Luck you’re not on medication that causes weight gain
Luck you can afford to eat healthy
Luck you don’t have a hormone imbalance causing weight gain.

People think things they are doing are preventing weight gain - but all of this is down to luck that it either works or you’re in a position to benefit.

just wanted to answer the comment from several pages back saying that vegetarians are rarely fat. This isn’t my experience. I was vegetarian in my 20s and definitely on the chubby side. One of the things that helped me to lose weight as I got older was being able to eat more fish and white meat instead of so much cheese and pasta.

I also have a very sweet tooth so if I don’t keep a close eye on it (which I do now) I could easily become seriously overweight just from eating too many cakes, biscuits, chocolates. Plus I could eat virtually unlimited quantities of pasta. Whereas I would never be inclined to eat two burgers or two steaks!

Yeah, I think I'm a normal weight mainly by luck.

If weight loss was as straightforward as lots of people here are making out and congratulating themselves for then there really wouldn't be an obesity epidemic.

I'm a "normal" weight, having been anorexic in my teens/early 20s, my mum was almost always on a diet , throughout my childhood, but remained overweight. She ate home cooked food, and probably ate no more unhealthily than I do now

Loving this, a thread for all the skinny people to talk about how amazing they are.

Your bias is showing.

It's clear from the thread that there are many reasons why some people aren't overweight. Some put it down to luck, which they aren't taking credit for.

But yes, I do have to make an effort and if I bought a big bag of Maltesers I could and would eat the lot. The achievement is that I don't buy them, or at least very rarely. If that makes me amazing, fine!

That is really not what is happening. Why is it okay to make such sweeping statements about people who happen to be slim?

Crisps are my downfall. I could eat them all night. Which is why I only ever buy the small packs and only ever eat one.

Small things like this help you manage your intake.

This!

I was underweight / lowest end of normal until my 20's. I am now a little overweight. I am DEFINITELY healthier now. I bounce back quicker when I'm ill, am ill less often and have less creepy old man attention.

Why aren't we equally worried about the growing number of young people with eating disorders which anecdotally appears to be a side effects of the anti obesity agenda spending so much time on pushing "healthy eating" in schools.

From my experience people with the healthiest weights have a relaxed attitude toward food. Have never been forced to clear their plates or told to not eat "unhealthy" food but eat what they want in moderation and listen to their bodies.