Interesting article about thin people who eat whatever they want yet remain thin

[Anonymous]

Americans come from every genetic pool in the world.

If it were mostly genetics, then all of those other countires would be dealing with the same obesity issues as we are.

That woman is not thin. From the picture she appears to be my weight or larger, and I could definitely drop a dress size or two before I could be considered thin.

[Anonymous]

Funny, right now I have similar stats to the woman pictured - 150ish and 5'8" - and I look a lot different from her. I can weigh 140-155 and look good because I work out daily and carry a lot of muscle weight, which looks trimmer than if my 150ish pounds were more fat. (got down to 135 lbs years ago while marathon training and people kept telling me to eat - I was too bony/veiny.) I'd rather be at 140 but as I get older, it's harder to keep to that # without depriving myself.

[Anonymous]

I didn't find that woman to be thin, either. I guess I'm considered thin at 5'1" and 99 pounds, but I certainly can't and don't eat anything I want. At 41, I have to watch every bite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't find that woman to be thin, either. I guess I'm considered thin at 5'1" and 99 pounds, but I certainly can't and don't eat anything I want. At 41, I have to watch every bite.

Yeah, kind of strange the author couldn't find a better candidate to illustrate the alleged point being made in the article . . . maybe because there really aren't many folks who can "eat what they want" and be thin . . . where "what they want" = an objectively large quanity of calorie laden food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And she was active as a young woman. I know naturally thin people, and they really don't eat much and are more active than they think they are.

I am small -5'1, 118 pounds. I watch what I eat and exercise daily. At work potlucks, people will comment if I don't eat some of the fattening stuff saying that as much as I exercise I can eat all that I want. Not true - to stay at my weight, I have to both control intake and ensure daily activity.

What is wrong with people? Why is it their business what you eat?

[Anonymous]

I am one of those thin women who eats whatever I like. I have worn a size 2-4 since high school and have never been on a diet and I don't exercise (due to lack of time/comitment/motivation) but I walk when possible. I believe that my weight it is mostly genetic.

Here are my eating habits which I think do make a difference:
- I stop eating when I'm full. I do have a healthy appetite but not excessive.
- I drink a lot of water, tea and coffee and very little of sweet beverages
- I do try to eat regularly, breakfast, lunch and dinner daily however busy I get
- I do NOT let myself get TOO hungry. Whenever that happens I will overeat next time I eat.
- I don't always eat the healthiest foods but I try not to eat the least healthy type too. (I eat some fruits and vegetables daily but not as much as I should-trying to do better with that).

But again I do think a lot of my weight balance is due to genetics whether it's through one of the factors I mentioned above or faster metabolism or both or something else.

[Anonymous]

The woman pictured in the article looks fine to me. Better than most women her age I see daily, at least. If the researchers consider her lean for study purposes, it doesn't really matter what DCUMers think.

I'm thin (5'7" and about 115- don't know for sure bc I don't have a scale) and it's natural. I'm about this size whether I'm eating well or whether I'm pigging out on high-calorie junk foods. I think it's genetic.

[Anonymous]

People like blaming genetics because it's easier than blaming yourself (and making the appropriate lifestyle changes).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People like blaming genetics because it's easier than blaming yourself (and making the appropriate lifestyle changes).

In most cases, I think this is true. There are some outliers though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The woman pictured in the article looks fine to me. Better than most women her age I see daily, at least. If the researchers consider her lean for study purposes, it doesn't really matter what DCUMers think.

I'm thin (5'7" and about 115- don't know for sure bc I don't have a scale) and it's natural. I'm about this size whether I'm eating well or whether I'm pigging out on high-calorie junk foods. I think it's genetic.

yes but overall do you eat less that most overweight people. I have a friend who is thin. yes she works out but she also naturally eats less. She is someone who loves food and eats what she wants but unlike me rarely do I see her eating everything on her plate. She will eat a bowl of ice cream every night but unlike me she just has that one bowl where I tend to go back for seconds and thirds. So yes I do beleive people can stay thin by eating whatever they want but I also think that overall they want healthier foods and to eat less of the less health stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The woman pictured in the article looks fine to me. Better than most women her age I see daily, at least. If the researchers consider her lean for study purposes, it doesn't really matter what DCUMers think.

I'm thin (5'7" and about 115- don't know for sure bc I don't have a scale) and it's natural. I'm about this size whether I'm eating well or whether I'm pigging out on high-calorie junk foods. I think it's genetic.

yes but overall do you eat less that most overweight people. I have a friend who is thin. yes she works out but she also naturally eats less. She is someone who loves food and eats what she wants but unlike me rarely do I see her eating everything on her plate. She will eat a bowl of ice cream every night but unlike me she just has that one bowl where I tend to go back for seconds and thirds. So yes I do beleive people can stay thin by eating whatever they want but I also think that overall they want healthier foods and to eat less of the less health stuff.

I don't know. I don't really have anyone to compare my eating habits to.

Now I do eat healthier and I eat less because my eating is just guided by my appetite. I still finish off the pint of Ben and Jerry's the same day I buy it, though. But there was a period in my life where I would eat fast food several times per day (high calorie foods) and I still never topped 125 pounds.

[Anonymous]

Interesting post on weight loss by overweight women: helped to not skip meals or go out to lunch, and to keep a food journal

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120713080029.htm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The woman pictured in the article looks fine to me. Better than most women her age I see daily, at least. If the researchers consider her lean for study purposes, it doesn't really matter what DCUMers think.

I'm thin (5'7" and about 115- don't know for sure bc I don't have a scale) and it's natural. I'm about this size whether I'm eating well or whether I'm pigging out on high-calorie junk foods. I think it's genetic.

yes but overall do you eat less that most overweight people. I have a friend who is thin. yes she works out but she also naturally eats less. She is someone who loves food and eats what she wants but unlike me rarely do I see her eating everything on her plate. She will eat a bowl of ice cream every night but unlike me she just has that one bowl where I tend to go back for seconds and thirds. So yes I do beleive people can stay thin by eating whatever they want but I also think that overall they want healthier foods and to eat less of the less health stuff.

I don't know. I don't really have anyone to compare my eating habits to.

Now I do eat healthier and I eat less because my eating is just guided by my appetite. I still finish off the pint of Ben and Jerry's the same day I buy it, though. But there was a period in my life where I would eat fast food several times per day (high calorie foods) and I still never topped 125 pounds.

Ya know, I'm still sticking with my belief that those who "eat what they want" really don't eat all that much (nor do they want to). PPs above who claim to eat what they want, in the next breath mention how they try to avoid xyz. In my 44 years, I have NEVER met someone who eats like I like to eat (and I am an admitted glutton) who is skinny. I am not thin. I am "regular" size. I'd like to lose ten pounds, and I know what needs to be done. But, I am a glutton! I love to eat and drink! What can you do? BTW, I have talked about this with my mom, a doctor. She does know one person (in her 63 years) who truly can/MUST eat "whatever he wants." She thinks he does have some sort of metabolic problem, e.g., at dinner, he wolfs down three baked potatoes with the 1 pound steak and creamed spinach. He has acknowledged embarrassment, b/c he constantly needs to refuel his engine - he is constantly worried about the quantity of food he ingests.

[Anonymous]

My dh and college roommate are both naturally thin. They have to work hard to gain weight and if sick or stressed drop weight very quickly. My dh at 40 can eat stunning quantities of food without gaining. In contrast, my mother has been overweight her whole life and eats a pretty normal diet. Genetics plays a big role.

[Anonymous]

Again, I wish they find a better model to illustrate their point. I'm 5'9'', and at 155 pounds post-pregnancy, I'm still struggling to lose the last 10 to 15 pounds. I'm ready to get out a sharp knife and start slicing the damn fat off my body.

The skinniest part of my life came when I got braces and suddenly couldn't eat most things. I went on oatmeal and yogurt for the next several months and sometimes forgot to eat because the inside of my mouth felt so weird. Maintained the same or near-same workout schedule of 3 to 4 times a week. A few months later I was 15 pounds lighter and I did not really have 15 pounds to lose. So yeah, it's what you eat. But it was a revelation that most of the things we eat, we eat for sensation or out of habit. To truly survive, we actually need very little. I wish I still had these damn contraptions.