Anonymous wrote:To be clear, yes 16 yo does not equal 50 yo. The point is that someone who eats like garbage and isn't that active but ripped isn't doing much different than the same kid that is permanently on a diet by 16 and still fat. So what's the difference between the two? Genetics.

I feel like there is this belief that fat people can't possibly be doing the same thing as ripped people.

Well, the “belief” is biology. If you studied these two fictitious teenagers you would find one’s energy intake is wildly out of balance. And it’s not going to be on the order of 100-200 calories a day like you want to believe.

If you want to gate-keep yourself by pretending there is no free agency to life, I guess that’s your prerogative.

Anonymous wrote:I have a 16 year old that eats a limited diet of burgers, fried chicken, pizza and tacos. He's ripped with a 6 pack and hasn't worked out since last summer.

Really. All the BS about genetics having zero roll in this...come on. It's like 99% genetics.

I don't agree with 99% of BMI being genetic, but I think it is probably around 50-70%. BMI is really more of a proxy for general health than a direct indicator. It doesn't tell you your body composition what type of fat you have. If you have a lot of subcutaneous fat but very little visceral fat, you can very easily be healthier than a skinny person with little fat except on their belly. Where you store your fat is genetically determined.

Another piece is how you were raised. The standard American diet is pretty terrible. If that is what you are used to because that's what you grew up with, that can be a hard habit to break.

As someone who has always been very genetically lucky with regards to weight, I will say that when I got close to being overweight, it was absolutely because I was "treating myself". Yes, eating a lot of junk will cause weight gain, and a lot of people eat a lot of junk.

Genetics impacts how you look and a lot of aspects of your health, but it is absolutely in your power to use diet and exercise to improve your cardiovascular and metabolic health. Lifestyle changes can make a huge impact. And if GLP-1s help you get there, great!

Yeah, when this is an adult we'd talk not teen boy with high metabolism

To be clear, yes 16 yo does not equal 50 yo. The point is that someone who eats like garbage and isn't that active but ripped isn't doing much different than the same kid that is permanently on a diet by 16 and still fat. So what's the difference between the two? Genetics.

I feel like there is this belief that fat people can't possibly be doing the same thing as ripped people.

Anonymous wrote:There's plenty of 16 year old boys who eat junk and don't work out and are obese, so I do think there's genetic component. Not just metabolism but also hunger and energy for activities.

Yeah I guess the other posters aren't getting it. That's the whole point.

It is a combination of multiple things, sweetie.

Anonymous wrote:I do think stress and mental health plays a much bigger role in weight than most people understand.

+1 also, lack of sleep

There's plenty of 16 year old boys who eat junk and don't work out and are obese, so I do think there's genetic component. Not just metabolism but also hunger and energy for activities.

Anonymous wrote:Of course there are genetics that go along with weight. This is how they are different body types and some people are "naturally" tall, lanky and thin.

I also think, as mentioned above, that people generically have different hunger levels. This is why some people can "eat what they want" and not gain weight. the ones who "eat what they want" tend to also stop eating as soon as they are full and satisfied vs those who don't know when to stop.

Teen boys are also producing a lot of testosterone with aids in a high metabolism, easily building muscle and an the ability to eat everything and not gain weight. I also think most kids are more active in general- walking to bus, walking around school and so on.

All of this. It is so weird to look at a 16 year old boy and think the only reason your body looks different from his is "genetics." That would be like me looking at my 9 yr old daughter, who could probably fit through a cat door if she wanted to, and thinking "huh the only reason she's so much thinner than I am is genetics -- definitely doesn't have anything to do with her be pre-pubescent, still growing in height, and at a developmental stage where she's burning calories like it's her job." That's also what I looked like at 9. Based on genetics, she's likely to look like me at 42. I'm not climbing through any cat doors.

Of course there are genetics that go along with weight. This is how they are different body types and some people are "naturally" tall, lanky and thin.

I also think, as mentioned above, that people generically have different hunger levels. This is why some people can "eat what they want" and not gain weight. the ones who "eat what they want" tend to also stop eating as soon as they are full and satisfied vs those who don't know when to stop.

Teen boys are also producing a lot of testosterone with aids in a high metabolism, easily building muscle and an the ability to eat everything and not gain weight. I also think most kids are more active in general- walking to bus, walking around school and so on.

I think age has a lot to do with it, plus he's likely active in some way. I weighed 115lbs as a young college student, just walking to classes and eating kitkat bars and bagels. Was I able to maintain that weight eating that way later on? No.

Anonymous wrote:He's a teen boy with a giant metabolism. It won't keep up forever.

This is so true. Life is going to hit him hard if he does not clean up his diet. Plus diabetes, heart disease and crippling arthritis.

Anonymous wrote:I have a 16 year old that eats a limited diet of burgers, fried chicken, pizza and tacos. He's ripped with a 6 pack and hasn't worked out since last summer.

Really. All the BS about genetics having zero roll in this...come on. It's like 99% genetics.

It's kinda icky that you're describing your kid as ripped with a six pack. Gross.

Anonymous wrote:He's a teen boy with a giant metabolism. It won't keep up forever.

+1

Im not seeing a 6 pack on him when he is 40. Some men look so rough even in their 30s. You can tell who was never taught about basic nutrition.

He's a teen boy with a giant metabolism. It won't keep up forever.