if a slow/fast metabolism defines how much energy we burn through the day, how come its not possible to artificially boost it to extreme levels and thus lead to obese people sheeding all that extra weight with minimum effort?

Question

if a slow/fast metabolism defines how much energy we burn through the day, how come its not possible to artificially boost it to extreme levels and thus lead to obese people sheeding all that extra weight with minimum effort?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Fast/slow metabolism is way overblown. Some people do use more energy than others and this is mostly related to non exercise activity thermogenesis. The biggest determinant of basal metabolic rate is your lean tissue mass. Obesity is primarily controlled by satiety signaling, people with a genetic predisposition to obesity tend to have problems with satiety signaling and not a slow metabolism. There are drugs like dinitrophenol that can increase the amount of calories you burn without exercise by uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation from energy production. Basically you produce heat instead of ATP. It’s effective for weight loss but super dangerous and uncomfortable.