[tresjolie]

(Original post by Octohedral)
I'm a total lay person here, but could it be that your body isn't getting enough nutrients? I doubt there's a single vitamin in that diet, and maybe somewhere your body is rejecting the junk food?

You may be right though. I don't doubt genetics does play a part - some people clearly have superior genetics in physical appearance, so why not in bodily efficiency?

Oh I agree, honestly my poor, poor body must literally be crying out for some kind of actual nutrients! I also know nothing about whether or not that could be a factor but it wouldn't surprise me, I definitely don't get enough vitamins etc from my current diet, and I don't remember the last time I ate a piece of fruit or veg...apart from fries

[JongKey]

(Original post by heyAmy)
So you hear of these people who 'eat loads' and 'do no exercise' but claim that their slim physique is natural and they've got good genes.
Personally, I have no idea how this could be possible.
What do you think? Can this be possible? Is there such thing as 'naturally skinny'?

Yeah it's definitely possible. Some of my cousins eat like pigs and they don't exercise but they never put on any weight. 2 of my brothers also eat a lot and never exercise, but are still naturally slim and don't gain weight. It has to do with metabolism.

[Mr. Tizzy XII]

(Original post by Keckers)
But have you really read them? Two studies show that there are genetic differences in metabolic pathways etc etc, only one study mentions anything to do with weight and this is under observed morphological traits prior to testing. The discussion contains absolutely no reference to weight at all. The report itself acknowledges that studies are inconclusive it determining a correlation between metabolic variance and weight.

Which is why I said that metabolic differences are not the defining factor. Environmental conditions, hormones, exercise and diet will have a bigger effect. That does not refute the fact that metabolic differences exist and contribute to weight, and that BMR and RMR can vary highly between individuals.

If you burn 1500 Kcal a day in a resting state, or if you burn 2000 Kcal a day at resting state, will that effect your weight? Obviously. But this difference may be counter-acted by other factors.

[Keckers]

(Original post by Mr. Tizzy XII)
That does not refute the fact that metabolic differences exist and contribute to weight,

Except that it does. Metabolic differences existing and metabolic differences contributing to weight are two very different things. I never suggested every one has identical metabolisms, I said that metabolism ultimately makes no difference. Which is a view supported by the reports you posted.

[concubine]

(Original post by heyAmy)
So you hear of these people who 'eat loads' and 'do no exercise' but claim that their slim physique is natural and they've got good genes.
Personally, I have no idea how this could be possible.
What do you think? Can this be possible? Is there such thing as 'naturally skinny'?

Please be a troll.




Though when people use the fact that some people find it very hard to put on weight as an excuse for being seriously overweight, **** them.

[Rarrgh]

I know at least 3 people who are stick thin but can eat for England.

[joey11223]

I think it's not a myth, to an extent. It's clear metabolism can differ and can be unusually high or low in people.

However I do think some skinny people who claim to eat a lot eat a lot for THEM, in their opinion, but actually if you compare to someone who really does stuff themselves, it's not actually that much.

Also people who live solely on junk food like crisps, biscuits, ready meals etc, often don't gain weight like someone who eats big portions of "proper" meals AND snacks, because the former group are not getting much nutrition from their junk food, so their body is having to burn more of the fat to make up for a lack of energy because their junk diet isn't giving good complex carbs for energy or they're lacking in protein etc.

[WheresWally]

People may have a natural set point due to their metabolism, however If you consume more than you burn, without rigorous excercise you will still get fat.

Oh and people who say they can't gain weight are full of it. When I started training

I was around 9 stone 5 (135) now I'm around 13 stone (13 stone) and lean. I was one of those who used to say I can't gain weight i'm naturally thin.

I realise now this is bull, eat enough and regardless of your body type you can still get fat.

There are somatypes though ectomorph, endomorph, mesomorph.

[Mr. Tizzy XII]

(Original post by Keckers)
Except that it does. Metabolic differences existing and metabolic differences contributing to weight are two very different things. I never suggested every one has identical metabolisms, I said that metabolism ultimately makes no difference. Which is a view supported by the reports you posted.

I don't see how you can say that a difference in the rate that you burn energy which is otherwise converted into body mass does not contribute to weight.

[Keckers]

(Original post by Mr. Tizzy XII)
I don't see how you can say that a difference in the rate that you burn energy which is otherwise converted into body mass does not contribute to weight.

Where is this evidence that it is otherwise converted into body mass? You're oversimplifying an incredibly complicated process in order to suit your assertion that metabolism plays a major role in deciding how fat someone is.

[117r]

(Original post by heyAmy)
So you hear of these people who 'eat loads' and 'do no exercise' but claim that their slim physique is natural and they've got good genes.
Personally, I have no idea how this could be possible.
What do you think? Can this be possible? Is there such thing as 'naturally skinny'?

It really isn't a myth. Horizon did an episode where they tested this out. They got a group of 'naturally' skinny people and made them eat loads to see what happened. Basically, as far as I remember, they didn't get very fat, and there was a group of people who actually physically couldn't eat the calories they were required to for the experiment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00hbsk2

[Birdman1234567]

(Original post by buildalegohouse)
Its not a case of genes, but rather metabolism. If you have a good metabolism, your body burns up fat quicker etc. I'm not sure if metabolism is something you inherit, but to be honest, some people are naturally thin, so as far as I'm concerned, it isn't a myth. I know plenty of people who eat ridiculous amounts of food, try to put weight on, and never do.

and I am one of them

[EmmaJane_]

Not a myth, I eat loads and never gain.

[bluemax]

Yes, its possible. I eat like a dog, all the time, as much as i can whenever i can. Ive actually been trying to gain weight for quite a while now but am still very thin. Its probably due to age (im 21) and probably due to high metabolism. But it doesnt lasts forever. One eventually hits a point when you have to exercise some level of control. My elder brother was quite similar to me when he was 21. But now its not the same for him anymore, he does have to control his calorie intake now.

[Mr. Tizzy XII]

(Original post by Keckers)
Where is this evidence that it is otherwise converted into body mass? You're oversimplifying an incredibly complicated process in order to suit your assertion that metabolism plays a major role in deciding how fat someone is.

Where is the evidence? It's basic biology. If you do not expend immediately available energy sources then they are converted into body mass. And i've already stated that there are other factors that can counter-act this effect, which I thought you would understand to mean that if these other factors were similar between people, which is not unrealistic, differences in weight can be attributed to variations in BMR.

I understand your point, but from what i've learned, my interpretation is that metabolic rate plays a bigger part in contributing to weight than you think (500-1000 Kcal difference / day is not insignificant). It doesn't look like we'll agree so i'll leave it at that because i've got some revision to do.

[Instincts_2012]

Not a myth.

When I was about 7 years old, I could devour 2 chicken burgers, 2 large fries, and an ice cream cone + mc flurry, with a large coke very quickly - and I was stick thin.

I continued being stick thin until about 13 < that was when my metabolism slowed down dramatically, not sure why... now I'm just an average 17 year old, that's trying hard to get definition/toned xD


My brother on the other hand, is the opposite. He was fat when he was small, then began becoming stick thin. He can eat 2 whole chickens, and still be stick thin - and he doesn't exercise. Da***. (He's 21 now)

[sinfonietta]

Of course it's possible. I'm like this.

I can eat and eat and eat yet I don't put on weight - however, I have no trouble losing it. Rather than having a diet to lose weight, my diet involves trying to maintain the weight. I go between a size 6-8 on my waist (6 when I work out regularly; 8 when I don't) but always remain a size 10 in tops/dresses because of chest size. It's just genes. My mother's side of my family are short and skinny (yet still curvy); my father's side are tall/fuller-figured. I inherited height from my father's side and the rest from my mother so this just exaggerates how thin I am (I've 6" on the tallest woman on my mother's side). I wouldn't complain about it now (I love that I can eat whatever I want!), but in school I hated it because the girls (including my "friends") spread rumours that I was anorexic/bulimic. :/

[meraphox]

(Original post by heyAmy)
So you hear of these people who 'eat loads' and 'do no exercise' but claim that their slim physique is natural and they've got good genes.
Personally, I have no idea how this could be possible.
What do you think? Can this be possible? Is there such thing as 'naturally skinny'?

No their fat inside, these people are called ectomorphs and if you took an MRI of them you could see their fat on the inside which is the worst type in my opinion cos youl be unhealthy without seeing signs until you get a blood clot or something :/


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[aesthetics]

I've always been flabbergasted when people claim that there's no such thing as a fast metabolism or a biological explanation for eating but not getting fat. I've been skinny since I was a child. I wouldn't say that I eat 'a lot', at least subjectively speaking. I eat 3 whole meals a day and snacks in between. I do not do exercise. I spend 90% of my time sitting. Fat never seems to get to my arms or legs (which are like sticks) and my chest is completely flat. Being naturally thin is definitely not a myth. Some people get fat easier than others and attempts at blaming the fat person for eating too much or the skinny person for being anorexic is completely unfounded and based on stereotypes assigned to the norm. People try to derive causation from everything, but there is no absolute cause when it comes to genetic predisposition.

[BefuddledPenguin]

No matter how much I eat or exercise I remain about the same really. However, as that same is about 12 stone it isn't really beneficial.