I mean, I get that having a fast metabolism means that you get fat harder and vice versa, but what does it exactly mean? And what are the upsides and downsides of each?
In: Biology
I have a personal theory about how the “fast/slow metabolism” misconception could partly be a function of how efficient people’s digestive systems are. For example, my brother has bathroom issues and can eat and eat and eat with no weight gain. He is therefore not absorbing his food efficiently. This could be an extreme case but you can imagine there being a spectrum of how effective people are at digesting their foods.
As someone who has a “fast metabolism” according to others, I have a different theory. I do eat a ton of food – like, burger and fries for lunch, half a pizza for dinner, that kind of thing. But I’m super, super physically active. I’m a constant fidgeter in addition to exercise and walking a lot. There’s a theory that people with fast metabolisms are actually just fidgets – we’re always moving, even just jiggling our legs at our desks. I’m constitutionally incapable of sitting still.
People that weigh more actually have a higher basic metabolic rate. They expend more calories maintaining their bodily functions. This is mentioned a lot when trying to gain weight, but it’s also relevant to people that are obese and trying to lose weight.
The process at which you convert food to energy is what our metabolism is responsible for so faster obviously needs less time to convert to ATP (energy) and vice versa. It’s not uncommon for people with slow metabolic rates to be overweight because the body is inefficient at converting food to fuel, and will opt to store the food (as bodyfat) instead of using it all for ATP.
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