Fast or slow metabolisms are not a "lie"
17 days ago
- #weight-loss
- #health
- #metabolism
- Fast and slow metabolisms are real and vary significantly among individuals, with differences in resting metabolic rate (RMR) as high as 1,000–2,000 calories per day.
- Metabolic rates vary about three times more between individuals than height does, comparable to the variability seen in IQ.
- A 2024 study from China found enormous intraindividual variance in RMR, with those in the top decile having 1.7x faster metabolisms than those in the bottom decile.
- Metabolic adaptation to dieting varies, with some individuals being 'diet resistant' and others 'diet sensitive,' influenced by biological factors like mitochondrial proton leakage.
- Animal studies, such as those on livestock, confirm metabolic variability, supporting the idea that humans are not exceptions to metabolic diversity.
- Metabolism plays a crucial role in weight loss, with individuals having faster metabolisms finding it easier to lose weight due to a higher caloric deficit.
- GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic can aid weight loss, but their effectiveness still depends on individual metabolic rates, with hyper-responders losing more weight than non-responders.
- Social media and modern environments favor individuals with faster metabolisms, who can maintain leanness more easily, while others struggle despite strict dieting.
- The belief that 'fast metabolism is a lie' ignores extensive scientific evidence and anecdotal accounts of metabolic variability and its impact on weight management.