I agree with others that in the vast majority of cases, the people who can eat "whatever they want" and not gain weight just don't eat much of anything.

Maybe they just aren't that into food and don't get much satisfaction from eating? I don't know.

Many of the people that I knew when I was younger who were always skinny and who ate whatever and as much as they want have put on weight as they got older. Bad eating habits will catch up with you 99 percent of the time.

One of my thin friends posts tons of pictures of herself drinking colorful mixed drinks (martinis, frozen drinks, etc.) and indulging on ridiculously rich desserts, and then makes nasty pronouncements about how fat people "just need to put the fork down." I have to roll my eyes.

Don't let the way she said it confuse you. She probably eats very little since forever and ever, and can afford to have those mixed drinks. Everyone can if they are moderate the majority of their life.

Until I was 40 I could eat anything I wanted and not gain weight - as long as I exercised daily. At 48, I can mostly eat anything and not gain, as long as I work out daily. But I randomly gained 13 lbs at 40 so I am heavier than I was in my 30's. but not gaining since 40. It's weird.

I have friends who indulge certain things (alcohol, fast food, or snacks) and never gain weight, but I don't know what they are doing when I'm not with them -- do they binge/purge, skip a meal, overexercise? Is it just a fast metabolism? It's hard to say.

I am someone who must watch every calorie I eat and I must exercise - or else I will be absolutely enormous (I'm still fat, to be sure). I don't really drink that much (maybe 4 Stella Artois' a month), I cook most of my meals from scratch, I watch my portion sizes, I aim for nutritional value, I don't drink juice/eat cookies/wolf down candy/eat pies/etc. It is what is is, I guess (shrug).

One of my thin friends posts tons of pictures of herself drinking colorful mixed drinks (martinis, frozen drinks, etc.) and indulging on ridiculously rich desserts, and then makes nasty pronouncements about how fat people "just need to put the fork down." I have to roll my eyes.

I was like this my whole life until I hit about 35. I still eat whatever I want, I just try to make healthier choices, and now I have to work out to balance things out.