Fat and metabolism

by jstalin 17 Replies latest social physical

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  jstalin

  Did anyone see that 20/20 episode last week about medical misconceptions? One of them was that there are some people with higher metabolisms than others, thats why there are some super skinny people and fat people. The reality was very interesting. They had a doctor who did a study of fat and skinny people and the conclusion was that fat people actually have higher metabolisms because of the extra body mass that they must maintain. He said the primary determinant of fatness was the amount of activity a person engages in during the day.

  One example was two women who were outfitted with devices to record how much activity each one engaged in during the day - one skinny woman and one overweight woman. The difference was very interesting. The skinny woman spent, on average, 2.5 hours more per day engaging in some activity, like standing, walking up the stairs, walking farther to the store from the car, etc. The doctor said that this accounts for about a 300 calorie difference in energy use per day for that woman. It was very interesting.

  The doctor who did the study is always walking. His "desk" consists of a treadmill that runs at 1 mile per hour and he stands and does his work. I thought it was a very interesting concept.

  My personal relationship to this story is that I've, for a long time, been slightly overweight. I started exercising, running, and weight lifting about two months ago and I'm already down 10 pounds. I feel great. The only difference in my life is that I work out twice a week for about two hours and I've stopped eating deep-fried food. I've become convinced that just getting a little more active is a big boost.
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  Scully

  I saw that program too. I was interested in the pilot project being introduced in a school - there are no chairs in the classroom. The "desks" are more like countertops - and the kids stand at the desks to do their work.

  The overweight woman in the comparison sample has had her workspace modified so that she now stands to do her office work instead of sitting at a desk.
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  whyamihere

  No I missed that. Thanks for some of the info though....

  As I am getting back in to the work out routine. I try and work out 5x a week no less than 90 minutes. Just have to work on the food part, eat more healthy and stay away from Starbucks(its not food). I have been doing that way too much and now the doctors in my area are concerned for my heart since it doesn't beat like it should. I have to get more Ekg's done.(doesn't look that great right now) Well anyway I have been doing well for 2 weeks and I haven't stepped into a coffee place in 2 1/2 weeks. I miss Starbucks.

  Brooke
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  greendawn

  I think you got something mixed up, people can have different metabolic rates and men tend to burn more calories than women, but that refers to the resting state, also fat people will burn more because the extra fat is living tissue that must be kept alive.
  
  
  Thereafter it is mainly physical total activity that determines the total calories burned. Even a few hundred extra unburnt calories per day add up to many kilos of fat over the years.
• 

  Scully

  http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2109291&page=1

  June 23, 2006 — When should you begin checking your blood pressure? Is your sunscreen really giving you the protection you think it is? "20/20" teams up anti-aging guru Dr. Michael F. Roizen and heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, authors of "You: The Owner's Manual" to debunk 10 body myths — from why you gain weight to aging and memory.

  Here are the body myths we debunked with our health experts and the truth behind them.

  <snipped irrelevant info>

  Slow Metabolism Makes You Fatter

  We've all heard for years that people who are thin have won the biological lottery. They look like they can eat whatever they want without gaining a pound. We think they're lucky to have a high metabolism.

  "It's generally false that your metabolism is the reason for your weight," said Oz. "And this has been looked at numerous times."

  To figure this out, we turned to Dr. Jim Levine, an obesity researcher at the Mayo Clinic, who's studied the metabolism of lean and heavy people, such as lean Kathy Strickland and a heavier Dawn Campion.

  "Dawn's numbers are actually higher because we find continuously is that people with weight problems who have obesity have a higher basal metabolism compared to people who are lean," Levine said.

  Levine says most patients that come to his clinic have a higher metabolism.

  "Your basal metabolism is the calories you burn to keep your body going, so if your body is bigger of course your basal metabolism is greater," Levine said. "If your body is smaller your basal metabolism is less."

  Levine says the reasons behind weight gain are simple. People who weigh more move less.

  "People with obesity have a tendency to be seated, a natural tendency to be seated for two-and-a-half hours per day more," Levine said.

  Levine believes people can combat obesity by simply moving more. Even standing up at your desk can increase your metabolism by 40 percent.

  "We're talking about shaking up everything we do because we have no choice in it," Levine said. "Obesity is collapsing corporations in America, but much more importantly, it's devastating our health and it's taking over our children. We have no choice but to do something. We have no choice but to do something big."
• 

  schne_belly

  I Miss Starbucks

  Brooke...what is so wrong with Coffee? Just get your drinks with skim milk instead of whole....ohhh and skip the whip cream!
  I read in my womens health magazine caffeine can actually increase your metabolism!!
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  whyamihere

  Oh I skipped on meals so my calorie intake wouldn't go up. Plus, I do the non fat/low fat no whip cream give me straight coffee.

  Then again I would fill up on coffee to a point I would be full and didn't want to eat, which made me dehydrated and I did some damage to my kidney's. Fun huh? So in a nut shell I am very unhealthy and I should take care of myself better which I have been doing for the last 2 weeks. The fainting part is scaring the Dr's. If I don't stop what I am doing I will kill myself slowly.

  Off to the gym...lol(I'll eat don't worry)

  Brooke
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  schne_belly

  Ohh my Brooke...
  I guess I didn't realize that you JUST drank Coffee! Yes, I can see why that would be a problem then!
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  FlyingHighNow

  For three and half years I worked on my feet 8 hours a day, in constant motion, and climbing ladders, etc. I gained weight. This is one show. I'm sure it will cause further misconceptions about over weight people. I know there will be insensitive people that will close their minds, then open their mouths and tell plumper people something like, "Just get moving. You'll lose the weight." It may be that simple for some individuals, sadly for the rest of us, it's not.

  Moving is certainly good for you, but it's not the only answer for most people who suffer with weight problems.
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  greendawn

  Ultimately it's the calories consumed and calories expended that really matter, consuming more than spending means putting on weight save for the fortunate few whose bodies just burn up all extra calories instead of storing them.
  
  So even a physically active person may put on weight by eating more calories than he burns.