# Overweight due to metabolism/hormones/thyroid etc. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045 "2017-02-17T14:18:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/61 "2017-04-20T12:29:43Z")
The outright rejection was of the construction of the “if-then” argument: no, a discrepancy between countries does not mean that genetics does not play a role. There are also other basic misstatements in that post - for example, no, standard recommended daily calorie intake tables/calculators are not based on soldiers from the ‘50s. Studies validating different estimated energy equations, which are then used to calculate predicted energy requirements for different individuals are based on a large body of research over many decades, often using indirect calorimetry. They factor in activity levels from sedentary to active. That said none of the formulae are perfect, far from it. They are extremely rough estimates which may be off in either direction for any individual. And individuals’ calorie counts in the real world are notoriously inaccurate. Someone who claims that they are eating less than half of the recommended daily calorie intake are are still struggling to prevent their paunch from growing is more likely just doing a poor job calorie counting than actually burning less than half of the calories estimated by those formulae each day. Another (inconsequential) misstatement - the median in Germany is roughly the same as in the U.S. with total adult overweight/obesity rates not so far off from each other. (There are though more Americans who are obese and morbidly so …) Yes we can agree that obesity is a result of both environment and genetics and more. As individuals we can only impact our (and our children’s) personal environments. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/62 "2017-04-20T14:50:40Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > If obesity was caused by genetics, then there wouldn’t be a discrepancy between different nations. Yet, if you go to countries like Japan, France, Germany, etc. you’ll find that everyone is (what Americans would call) skinny, on the whole. Men and women do start to get a bit of a paunch when they get older, and certainly there are some people who are overweight when they are young, but the median is much lower than in the US and the percentage of people who are overweight is significantly less. You would be hard pressed to find someone who is morbidly obese. Indeed, income effects are likely to be involved. Food is much [cheaper](http://wsm.wsu.edu/researcher/wsmaug11_billions.pdf) (pdf) in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Diana2017](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8dc957/32.png) [@Diana2017](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diana2017)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/63 "2017-05-03T15:19:15Z")
it’s important not to shame kids when they are overweight because it can cause them to become overweight in the long run. Instead, parents should focus on teaching healthy eating habits and increasing self-confidence. [https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/06/16/parents-should-avoid-comments-on-a-childs-weight/](https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/06/16/parents-should-avoid-comments-on-a-childs-weight/) > **[Case Study: How I Helped My Preteen Daughter Slim Down (No Diets)](https://parentingpod.com/children-weight-loss/)** > > We all want to do what's best for our child — after all, we're their ultimate support system and role model. Our actions during their development, can greatly influence their well-being. Based on a personal experience ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2017, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/64 "2017-05-03T19:44:54Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I have Graves disease, which causes hyperthyroidism among other things. I recently ended up in the ER because of a thyroid storm. So, my doc & endocrinologist want to kill my thyroid with radioactive iodine. That’s not news. My chief concern is I will automatically become hypothyroid, and every person I’ve ever known who was hypothyroid was obese. Every singe one. They assure me if I get the synthroid levels adjusted right, that won’t be a problem. > > Are they lying their asses off, or are obese people with hypothyroidism just not taking the right dose of synthroid, or are they just blaming their obesity on hypothyroidism they don’t really have, because it’s being treated? The exact same thing happened to me four years ago. I took the iodine (which is an interesting experience…the endocrinologist handled the container with heavy gloves, I had to leave the clinic through the back door, and I couldn’t be around other people, especially small children, for days) and basically ablated my thyroid through modern chemistry/nuclear physics. I haven’t gained a pound since then. But I have eaten sensibly for the last 10-15 years and continue to do so. Smokers often say the same thing: “If I quit smoking, I’ll gain weight.” I suggest you consider that Graves can be pretty serious and simply plan on controlling your diet after the procedure. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/65 "2017-05-04T02:04:07Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I have Graves disease, which causes hyperthyroidism among other things. I recently ended up in the ER because of a thyroid storm. So, my doc & endocrinologist want to kill my thyroid with radioactive iodine. That’s not news. My chief concern is I will automatically become hypothyroid, and every person I’ve ever known who was hypothyroid was obese. Every singe one. They assure me if I get the synthroid levels adjusted right, that won’t be a problem. > > Are they lying their asses off, or are obese people with hypothyroidism just not taking the right dose of synthroid, or are they just blaming their obesity on hypothyroidism they don’t really have, because it’s being treated? I have a sister who has been hypothyroid since her teens (she’s almost 60 now). After her divorce her weight went up, and after one of her sons suffered a severe brain injury, but in both cases, after about a year or so, she hammered the weight back down. So while she certainly is more inclined to be overweight/obese, MOST of her life she has kept her weight under control. This has required both attention to diet AND lots of exercise (she’s a fan of 100 mile bike rides, for example) but it certainly is doable. If you want to keep your weight under control you can, but you will have to make an effort, and do so consistently. My sister’s weight went up when she got careless (due to some really epic crisis situations) but like I said, she is able to control it outside of unusual situations. Good luck, and better health. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/66 "2017-05-04T02:19:30Z")
I have a friend who had had a heart attack right around the time I met him, so he HAD to lose weight. Since then, he’s occasionally talked about how difficult it is to lose weight and keep it off. He says he’s always been on the stockier side–he’s not obese, but a little bit overweight–and offers the usual refrains about how some people are just naturally stockier than others, and it’s really hard for them to keep weight off, and gets very defensive when he hears one of these “it’s just calories in minus calories out” arguments. Since getting married, he’s definitely packed on a few pounds. The thing is, a few years ago, we went on a road trip together, and so for the first time, I was around him 24/7 for a week, and thus couldn’t help but observe his eating habits. And wouldn’t you know it: we’d stay at a hotel that offered free breakfast, and he’d get eggs, bacon, a waffle, yogurt, a bowl of oatmeal, a muffin, and whatever else they had, filling up 2 whole plates with food. Then we’d stop for lunch and get big, meaty submarine sandwiches. Then we’d stop for gas around 3-4PM, and while we were at the gas station he’d say “man, I’m hungry” and go inside and buy a bag of chips or pretzels. Then we’d stop for dinner at a sit-down restaurant; I’d still feel full from the big sandwich I had for lunch and would often get something light, but he’d get a big entree, often with an appetizer. It’s amazing how blind people can be about what they eat. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/67 "2017-05-04T02:44:53Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > It’s amazing how blind people can be about what they eat. The whole point of all the discussion above is to show that people aren’t blind to what they eat, they have different body chemistries. If your friend felt full after that lunch sandwich like you, he wouldn’t be wanting to eat such a big dinner. For the most part (Thanksgiving excepted), people don’t eat when they’re not hungry. The whole problem is feeling hungry when you shouldn’t be. If a little salad can hold you over for 10 hours, good for you, but that doesn’t mean everyone is like that. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/68 "2017-05-04T03:12:29Z")
> [@jjakucyk](#): > > The whole point of all the discussion above is to show that people aren’t blind to what they eat, they have different body chemistries. If your friend felt full after that lunch sandwich like you, he wouldn’t be wanting to eat such a big dinner. For the most part (Thanksgiving excepted), people don’t eat when they’re not hungry. The whole problem is feeling hungry when you shouldn’t be. If a little salad can hold you over for 10 hours, good for you, but that doesn’t mean everyone is like that. But he is in denial about how much he’s eating. If he eats that much and scoffs at calories-in-calories-out, he’s not honest with himself about how many calories-in he’s taking. I would guess that if you asked him at the end of the day what he ate, he would not be accurate at all. He would likely say the portions were smaller than they were and he would forget about other things. He would be ‘blind’ in some sense to the amount of food he was eating. I saw a documentary about weight management where they showed people who could not lose weight even though their food logs showed they were eating low calories. The camera crew followed them throughout the day, and the problem was clear. What they called a serving was many servings. And they would underplay how many calories things had. They said they had ‘a serving of spaghetti’, but it was a whole package of spaghetti and a jar of sauce. Their ‘serving of rice’ was a plate of Chinese fried rice. What they had in their food log was a misrepresentation of what they were actually eating. The people seemed like they were being willfully ignorant rather than lying. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/69 "2017-05-04T03:14:58Z")
> [@jjakucyk](#): > > The whole point of all the discussion above is to show that people aren’t blind to what they eat, they have different body chemistries. If your friend felt full after that lunch sandwich like you, he wouldn’t be wanting to eat such a big dinner. For the most part (Thanksgiving excepted), people don’t eat when they’re not hungry. The whole problem is feeling hungry when you shouldn’t be. If a little salad can hold you over for 10 hours, good for you, but that doesn’t mean everyone is like that. What **filmore** said. I get what you’re saying, but my friend is one of these people who claims he doesn’t eat that much, complains of how hard it is to lose weight despite not eating that much, and resents being compared to people who can stay thin despite eating (what he thinks is) the same diet he eats. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/70 "2017-05-04T10:52:39Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > However, there is one indicator that is correct for your body and that is your weight (body fat). If it’s high, then you’re eating more calories than you’re using. That may be explained by low metabolism or highly efficiency, but the end result is the same. Either you need to eat less or exercise more. This is the correct answer. Regardless of anything else, if you’re fat then you’re eating too much. You can swear all day long that you’re _not_ eating too much, but the truth is that you’re consuming too many calories. If you consume less calories you will lose weight. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/71 "2017-05-04T12:14:41Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > This is the correct answer. That’s way too black and white, because for one thing people on starvation diets have been shown to gain weight due to severely decreased metabolism. That’s a pretty rare scenario, same with those whose body chemistry is super messed up for various reasons, so don’t say something is 100% correct when it’s not. Regardless, I don’t think many people here are trying to argue that overweight people aren’t eating too much. The question is why and how to control it. Saying “put down the fork” is condescending and ineffective. _HOW_ does someone who’s overweight eat less and/or exercise more without constantly being hungry, irritable, and frustrated? I’ve said this before, but “just eat less” is no different than saying “just ignore your broken leg, the pain’s all in your head.” There’s millions of years of evolution that has wired our brains to not not eat, and those impulses can’t be simply turned off. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/72 "2017-05-04T13:04:54Z")
> [@jjakucyk](#): > > people on starvation diets have been shown to gain weight due to severely decreased metabolism. This is not true. If you severely restrict your caloric intake you _ **will** _ lose weight. I am not saying a “starvation diet” is healthy. I am simply saying you are factually wrong. Holocaust survivors agree. > [@jjakucyk](#): > > Regardless, I don’t think many people here are trying to argue that overweight people aren’t eating too much. There are many, many people who (wrongly) think fat & obese people are not eating too much. I have even encountered these folks on the SDMB. These people are in severe denial. There is no sense in discussing how to lose weight if basic facts are not acknowledged. > [@jjakucyk](#): > > The question is why and how to control it. The “why” is extremely simple: being fat or obese is unhealthy. It also drives up medical costs for the rest of us. The “how to control it” question is a separate topic. There are many methods, suffice to say. > [@jjakucyk](#): > > I’ve said this before, but “just eat less” is no different than saying “just ignore your broken leg, the pain’s all in your head.” This is not correct. Hunger pains are nothing like the physical pain of a broken leg. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/73 "2017-05-04T14:21:09Z")
> [@jjakucyk](#): > > Regardless, I don’t think many people here are trying to argue that overweight people aren’t eating too much. The question is why and how to control it. Saying “put down the fork” is condescending and ineffective. _HOW_ does someone who’s overweight eat less and/or exercise more without constantly being hungry, irritable, and frustrated? You’re absolute right that is the crux of the issue. I feel for many people, their food issues are similar in many ways to an addictive behavior. We can’t just tell the drug addict to just stop taking drugs, the alcoholic to just stop drinking, and the gambling addict to just not gamble. Once the brain’s pleasure loop has been hijacked, it takes a lot of effort and behavior modification to break out of it. As for food, people need to be honest with themselves and their situation. If they feel hunger, they need to critically consider if their body is craving nutrition or trying to stimulate its pleasure center. But, of course, the same brain that is needed for critical thinking is also hijacked trying to seek pleasure through food. The brain will come up for some justification as to why it must have the large meatball and cheese sub rather than the small turkey sandwich. One way I think could help is to not each such rich, delicious, pleasurable foods. Don’t link food to pleasure so much. Eat simpler, blander food so that your body doesn’t get a rush from eating. Eat plain oatmeal with almonds rather than pancakes. Of course, people will say something like they don’t like oatmeal, but no surprise there. Their brain is trying to convince them to eat pancakes instead. At some point, the conscious part of the brain needs to step in to break the cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/74 "2017-05-04T16:57:53Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > You’re absolute right that is the crux of the issue. I feel for many people, their food issues are similar in many ways to an addictive behavior. We can’t just tell the drug addict to just stop taking drugs, the alcoholic to just stop drinking, and the gambling addict to just not gamble. The goal of drug/alcohol addiction treatment is to fully remove the addictive substances from the person’s life. “Food addiction” is much more insidious because the goal of treatment is much more nuanced. You can’t just stop eating. You still need food. So the challenges seem much more pronounced with food addictions. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/75 "2017-05-04T17:54:20Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > The goal of drug/alcohol addiction treatment is to fully remove the addictive substances from the person’s life. “Food addiction” is much more insidious because the goal of treatment is much more nuanced. You can’t just stop eating. You still need food. So the challenges seem much more pronounced with food addictions. > [@filmore](#): > > One way I think could help is to not each such rich, delicious, pleasurable foods. Don’t link food to pleasure so much. Eat simpler, blander food so that your body doesn’t get a rush from eating. My understanding is that Overeaters Anonymous goes this route, urging its members to essentially abstain from sugar. Not because of a view that sugar intake is a magic bullet, but because it provides a focus and an attainable goal (since abstaining from “food” is impossible) that consequently helps create the discipline and habits that can lead to weight control. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/76 "2017-05-04T22:39:33Z")
Should anyone who has never lost and kept off a large amount of weight have a say on the matter? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045/77 "2017-05-04T22:48:35Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Should anyone who has never lost and kept off a large amount of weight have a say on the matter? Yes. What would define “large amount” anyway? Who gets to make that decision? 20lbs isn’t a large amount but 25 _is_? (for example) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overweight-due-to-metabolism-hormones-thyroid-etc/780045.md?page=3)