Do faster metabolism's really exist?

I apologize if this has already been discussed in this forum but this is something I have always wondered about.

Say we are looking at two identical babies, who were born seconds ago but of different mothers: Do they have the same metabolic speed?

If you factor out external variables, like exercise and medical issues, do humans generally have similar metabolic speeds?

You know that friend you have who is around your same physical dimensions but is way thinner than you? Well, is she thinner because her metabolism is faster? But is that more likely attributed to her eating patterns (ex. eating only well hungry and stopping when full).

Just curious.

Thanx!

yes.  it's all about activity level, though.  lots of people who seem not to exercise are quite active.  they may be restless, fidgety, and just not sit still.

I also have wondered this . I was thin for years and told I was "lucky"  even though I had a physically demanding job, ate mostly whole unprocessed foods watched my portions and had very physically demanding  hobbies lol. My mother and brother are very thin (they do not get much physical activity)and I used to buy into the fast metabolism thing untill I started really watching them. I eat way more then they do They just do not have much appitite while me and my dad snack all the time and are just plain more hungry so we gain weight easier.

I have watched many thin friends and in reality I have not met a single person who has a "fast" metabolism, they just have different appitites.

And as Pg said they are sometimes more active then they seem.

Sorry! I just edited it so my question would be more clear.

Suldrun, I totally agree with you. I used to think people just have faster metabolisms. But then I started to really watch what they were eating. I realized my super thin friend just eats completely differently than I, she eats sweets constantly but stops the minute she is satisfied.

Everyone I know with a super fast metabolism only has one from activity.

Everyone else I know who is really thin but who only eats garbage only remains thin because they just don't eat enough.

No everyone is not the same, because even children can have hypo or hyperthyroid. I have had hypothyroid my whole life. Even though I was extremely active as a kid I was never skinny. Some people are blessed and some aren't. =/

Personally Jack I believe that that is the exception to the rule. For the most part I believe that it is all about calories burned vs calories consumed. Yes some people have hypo or hyperthyroid.

My mom and brother have normal maetabolisms they are very thin My dad and I have normal metabolisms, we exercise alot and when we stop we put on weight simply becaise we eat more.

hmm this is interesting. I've been slim my entire life, at 29 almost 30 now I am 5'6 1/2 and 120 lbs. Ever since my early 20s I've been eating very healthy - my diet is filled with fruits and veggies, whole grains, beans, and occasionally lean meats. I do stop eating when I'm full, I rarely ever binge. I stay far away from processed foods - when I say that I mean seriously anything from a can or box or even anything wrapped up I stay away from. Occasionally it can't be avoided but I sure try.  Oh I don't eat in restaurants very often - for me the reason is that I worry about cleanliness. I'd rather prepare everything myself.  I quit smoking in Jan this year and no weight gain at all.

I think the fact that I am very active with cleaning my home has a lot to do with it. I will try to clean everything almost every day, before it even needs to be cleaned again. I swear that this is good exercise! And it is also very rewarding and leaves you with a good feeling of having clean surroundings.

I generally agree with all that the prior posts say. Very often when we think someone else has a faster metabolism, our perceptions of what they eat are often wrong... we only know what other people eat when they are with us. This is true of my daughter.... I asked her to diary her eating for a week and discovered she had been eating ONLY 1900...I had thought certainly she must be eating way more.

However, some people really do have faster metabolisms than other people. This was studied by Dr. Eric Ravussin of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, which is part of Louisana State University. It's complicated, but they went to great lengths to compare people's lean body mass and measure only the RMR... not other activity. When comparing identical subjects under identical conditions, some people burned hundreds of calories above and below the "mean." This is why using the tools in this site for what people should eat, is only a rough idea.

Aside from variations in metabolisms, there are several genetic predictors of obesity.  It is true that the deck is stacked against some people. Nevertheless, experts agree that having genetic predispositions doesn't mean that maintaining a lean weight is impossible.

Ravussin is also the guy who studied the Pima Indians of the South West United States. They have extremely high obesity rates, and also all the genetic predictors. However, the Pima Indians in Mexico are lean... the exact same ethnic group. Food supplies are more limited and they have to work harder. If the Mexican Pima were brought to the US they would gain weight.
So yes, it is harder for some people. Plunk them down in the modern US where food is cheap and plentiful, and the need to do physical work is very limited, and people gain weight.

It is more interesting to me to find people who have slow metabolisms who manage to maintain a lean weight. Out of personal curiousity, I have been collecting data from real people... body weights and calories consumed to maintain... so far found numbers for only 7 obese people and a much larger number of lean people.  Just looking at people on the fairly crude basis of calories needed per pound of body weight, so far I am finding that lean and heavy people need about the same.... most people need 11 to 16 calories per pound. Four of the seven obese I found have average to higher calorie needs, per pound, as compared to the lean people I found. So it seems that speed of metabolism matters, but it is not the determining factor.

I have to disagree with the idea that everyone has basically the same metabolic rate. For example, research has found that as we age, our metabolism slows. Once we get to "middle age", if we make no changes in our caloric intake or energy expenditure, we will gain on average 1 pound a year.

I also know this as a result of personal experience. As a teen and young adult, I could literally eat anything and not gain weight. In college my typical daily diet consisted of cheeseburgers and fries, pizza, candy bars, ice cream, etc. In fact, I remember that one day I ate 5 snickers bars in a day as snacks. In other words, I should have weighed 400 pounds! Also, I maintained my weight with NO consistent exercise program (I hated exercise then!). The only exercise I got consistently was walking to class (short spurts, not high intensity). However, now at 43, I could NEVER eat the way I used to. I eat much healthier now, avoid the junk and have a consistent exercise program. However, I've decided it would be impossible to get down to my college weight again--I would literally have to eat lettuce and nothing else every day to get that thin again.

When did my metabolism seem to change dramatically? After giving birth to my second child!

shiptona, that is very interesting. I actually remember watching a clip about the Native Americans in the U.S. What they ultimately landed up doing was eating their traditional diet. After doing that they lost weight and had decreased rates of diabetes. Of course I am sure they started exercising more too. So interesting.

Jened, your metabolism slowed after your 2nd child! It is amazing to me how much the female body changes after giving birth. I just recently found out that your foot size can increase and never go back! Agh, but I am a size 10 now!! haha. : )

normajean, you must be tall like me. I wore a size 10 shoe before getting pregnant. Then after first pregnancy, my foot had grown to a size 11. (Yea, I know how impossible it is to find size 11's!). The good news is, after losing some weight recently, my foot seems to have shrunk down about half a size!

People have different metabolisms. I'm 6'3" 195lbs and I have fought for years to gain weight. I became a certified personal trainer b/c I wanted to know more about the body and how to beat genetics.

I eat 3,000-4,000 calories a day, 8 meals a day, everyday - I know this because I write it down. My diet is strictly 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat and it takes me months and months to gain 5-7 lbs. I don't eat sugar, processed carbs, or fast food. My friends can gain weight by eating 25% of what i consume, and I eat this much to MAINTAIN my current weight.

Other personal trainers at my gym eat tiny portions, eat 2 times a day, and somehow they gain muscle. It makes me sick.

The fact is, I have a faster metabolism than most people even when i skip meals and stay away from any physical activity. It's just genetics.

I train mostly women who claim they can't change their metabolism. If they eat 5-6 small meals a day, protein with every meal, and stay away from excessive carbs, I can watch their metabolism speed up. Problem is, most people would rather drink caffeine and take diet pills than work out and eat 6 meals a day. I know because that's how I get paid.

you know...does it really matter?  you gain weight when you eat more than your body can consume.  key words - your body.  who cares what other people can/do eat?  it's kind-of irrelevant, isn't it?

Aww, pg, you're just no fun ;) Besides, I think it's kinda human nature to compare themselves to others in everyway possible. Not saying it's right, just the way it is, the grass is always greener, right?

pgeorgian... right on. Yes, people's metabolisms vary... so what? It's like how people have different incomes, so people with lower incomes have a harder time making ends meet. But don't you know some rich people who are always in debt, and some low-income people that manage just fine? At the end of the day, it is your body, and your choice what you weigh.

I'm extremely active, do the exact same amount of exercise as teammates, eat nearly the same meals and portions daily (college athletes = college food) and I'm not able to eat like they do without suffering repercussions (sp?), consequently, I have to monitor calories and portions to maintain weight while I watch what they eat in as much quantity or whatever they feel, so I definitely think people's metabolic rates differentiate when most variables are constant.

jened, you won't believe how tall I am. 5'6! Can you believe it?! And I am of meduim build, not large. Crazy! I always wonder if my scoliosis made me a few inches shorter than I am supposed to be.

pgeorgian, life is just no fun without questions. ; )