Biomarkers ...Re: Need Advice on Stabilizing Weight (Optimum BMI for longevity)

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

My *guess* regarding the one-third of americans whose BMI is in the

18·5 to 24·9 range is a follows: many are under the age of 30 and

simply haven't yet had the time to pack on the pounds, but will have

a BMI over 25 in just a few more years. And of the remainder, fewer

than half are where they are without major effort.

Jeff says the only reason he is not over weight is because of

strenuous efforts to eat less. Speaking for myself, about eighteen

months ago I carefully measured how many calories of healthy food I

needed to eat daily to get to the point where I don't feel an urge

to open the refridgerator door and find something more and eat it.

That number is 3250 calories. Since I am burning off about 1800 a

day, if I were to eat enough to satisfy my appetite I would put on

weight at a rate of nearly half a pound a day (0·4 pounds in fact).

And that is exactly what happened to my weight during that

experiment - it rose by 0·4 pounds a day. And now, more than a year

later, my weight is still not back to where it was when I started.

(And please note the 3250 calories was not trying to stuff myself

full. It was simply eating enough that I didn't feel the need to go

find something else to eat.)

If I were to eat that much on a long term basis then, according to

the standard equations for calculating this stuff, my weight would

rise until a new equilibrium was established substantially above 300

pounds (370 pounds IIRC). But very likely, if I were to do that, by

then my appetite would have increased further ............

Rodney.

>

> >

> ,

>

> > The interesting thing (to me) is that our experience practicing

> > CRON, your experience as a naturally thin person and mine as the

proud

> > owner of the " thifty gene " , makes it appear that humans respond

to

> > CRON just as mice do. I understand that much more data would be

> > needed to scientifically establish the relationship, but it is

> > interesting.

> >

>

> Thanks but I disagree with most all of the above and don't know

where

> you got the idea that I agree with the above.

>

> I believe that many of us who are alive today are descendants of

> ancestors who had the thrifty gene. Not just some of us, but most

all

> of us because otherwise, most of us wouldnt have been here. That

is

> why so many of us (>65%) are battling the weight issue. And,

> regardless of the exact percent of those of us who do have this

gene,

> those who do have it, have had it for multiple generations upon

> multiple generations, etc. We didnt get it recently but it has

been

> passed on down for centuries. So, the real question is, if the

gene

> has been laying dormant for so many years, what is it about our

time

> now, that has made the gene express itself? And in so many people

who

> have had it lay dormant for so many years, all at once?

>

> Second, Trust me, you may think I am " naturally " thin, but I

can

> load the pounds on in a heartbeat and most of my family and close

> relatives are overweight/obese and suffer from CVD, DB, HTN and

> Cancer. I am one of the only ones who doesn't. When in college, I

was

> able to pack on weight very easy from " excesses " . My dad, who

is

> built like me, does the same, and worst of all, mostly in the

> abdomen. My dad is overweight now, and had 2 massive heart

attacks in

> his 50s. His dad died of one at the age 50 and was overweight.

They

> both engaged in physically demanding work. He also suffers from

HTN

> and DB. My mom is overweight and suffers from DB, and HTN. My

> brothers are either overweight or obese with heart disease. My

cousins

> are all overweight or obese and have similar situation and a

number of

> them have suffered from cancers. The only difference between my

thin

> disease free life and them, is my strict adherence to my

lifestyle.

> The only other family member who is also thin and disease free is

my

> sister, who like me, is also a strict adherent to a similar

lifestyle

> as me.

>

> Third, if you look closely at the Minnesota Starvation experiment,

and

> what we know of the holocaust survivors and other similar

situations,

> when humans are starved, they all get thin. No exceptions that

I

> know of. I dont remember seeing any pictures or hearing of any

> accounts from survivors of starved people who remained thin.

Same

> with the MN experiment, the biosphere, NWCR, hunger strikes, etc

etc

> etc. If someone knows of data where humans underwent severe CR

for an

> extended period and stayed obese/overweight or even a somewhat

> " normal " weight (as you described it).

>

> In addition, having participated in the treatment of around 2500

> patients a year for the last 10 years, I met many who made

similar

> claims about their inability to lose weight due to their thrifty

genes

> before enrolling. However, once enrolled in the controlled

> environment, they were able to lose weight, and often at a

calorie

> level above what they said they were eating before when they

couldnt

> lose weight. As the studies that were just posted here showed,

many

> parents of obese kids today do not see their kids as being heavy

or

> overweight, let alone obese. Perception vs reality is a huge

issue

> in todays world/environment.

>

> I believe my original point was misunderstood and maybe that is

my

> fault as they first time I explained a while back, the same thing

> happened.

>

> In response the comments about CR-ON not being applicable to

people

> who are already thin. my response is this...

>

> If they are thin, and not engaging in excessive exercise, then

they

> can only be thin if they are practicing some sort of CR right

now.

> Let us use me as an example. Many years ago, i was thin but I

wasnt

> practicing CRON. But to be thin, and stay thin, I had to be

> practicing some level of CR in my life. How do I know? Because

when

> I didn't and I indulged in excess, I could easily put on 20 if

not 30

> pounds. So, to maintain my lighter weight over time, I had to

be

> practicing CR over time. And when i saw the weight go up, I knew

how

> to get it off, cut out calories.

>

> However, while i must have been doing the CR part, to remain thin,

I

> wasnt doing the ON part as I didnt care about the quality of what

i

> ate. So, for me at that point to practice CRON, I did not need to

do

> anymore CR (which is what i believe the researchers are saying)

but

> that is because I am already doing more than enough. But , what

i

> know need to do, is learn and implement the ON part.

>

> And, as we all know, the benefit is not from the CR alone but from

the

> CRON.

>

> I hope that clarifies my position

> Thanks

> Jeff

>