eli5: why is gaining weight so easy but losing weight so hard
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The body has a built-in system to regulated weight; the fat cells secrete leptin and the brain regulates hunger based on how much leptin there is in the blood.
That’s how the system is supposed to work. However, many (most?) people are insulin resistant and also leptin resistant – that means that the brain is ignoring the signal that leptin is sending.
I think those who are saying the body wants to gain as possible are incorrect. While there are animals that play that game – rhinos and elephants are examples – most animals balance the advantage of extra fat to get through times when food is scarce, most balance that with being able to move quickly and get away from predators and/or chase prey. If we look at aboriginal peoples, the vast majority of them look quite thin.
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