Over time, even a relatively small difference in daily average caloric intake can make a relatively large difference in your body weight. For example, a 100 cals/day decrease will yield a ~10lb body mass decrease per yer.
While that is widely claimed, it is false. Think about it for a minute: do you really think that a decade of such deprivation would kill a light person? The problem is not all the complications of metabolism that people bring up in these posts, but the very basic fact that energy consumption is roughly proportional to body mass. Under that model, a caloric deficit will not lead to linear weight loss nor a surplus to linear weight gain. Instead, the new caloric intake is enough to support a new weight and the difference between the current and new weight decays exponentially. Here is a recent model, with some testing; one of the authors is quoted claiming that a 100 Cal/day deficit will lead to a total loss of 10lb, after about 3 years.
Thanks for this. It is the first substantive comment I’ve seen.
I read the NYT article; the other is above my head. Frankly, I don’t buy this: “Interestingly, we also found that the fatter you get, the easier it is to gain weight. An extra 10 calories a day puts more weight onto an obese person than on a thinner one.”
I think they are observing (primarily) genetically slow metabolisms.
I’d agree that the 3500 calorie = 1lb of weight loss is not linear because 100 pound people don’t disappear in 10 years. Conventional wisdom says that metabolism will adjust to a 100 cal deficit so that one would need to reduce cals more with time In order to achieve the same result. OR they would need to add exercise, which is also conventional wisdom.
Would you agree that this: “An extra 10 calories a day puts more weight onto an obese person than on a thinner one.” is because they are looking at people with genetic abnormalities?
genetic abnormalities implies it’s not a giant fraction of the population. I think it’s very likely that either because of historic population genetics or possibly gut flora biomes that different people simply will gain different amounts of weight from the same food over the course of their lives.
Downvoted. You understood what was meant, yet chose to ‘win the argument’ instead of helping correct the wording to make it easier for others to understand.
Example of proper clarification:
“Over time, consuming fewer calories than you burn can make a relatively large difference in your body weight. For example, consuming 100 cals/day less than you burn will yield a ~10 lb body mass decrease per year.”
And yes, this is quite sufficient to kill most people within ten years.
While that is widely claimed, it is false. Think about it for a minute: do you really think that a decade of such deprivation would kill a light person? The problem is not all the complications of metabolism that people bring up in these posts, but the very basic fact that energy consumption is roughly proportional to body mass. Under that model, a caloric deficit will not lead to linear weight loss nor a surplus to linear weight gain. Instead, the new caloric intake is enough to support a new weight and the difference between the current and new weight decays exponentially. Here is a recent model, with some testing; one of the authors is quoted claiming that a 100 Cal/day deficit will lead to a total loss of 10lb, after about 3 years.
Thanks for this. It is the first substantive comment I’ve seen.
I read the NYT article; the other is above my head. Frankly, I don’t buy this: “Interestingly, we also found that the fatter you get, the easier it is to gain weight. An extra 10 calories a day puts more weight onto an obese person than on a thinner one.”
I think they are observing (primarily) genetically slow metabolisms.
I’d agree that the 3500 calorie = 1lb of weight loss is not linear because 100 pound people don’t disappear in 10 years. Conventional wisdom says that metabolism will adjust to a 100 cal deficit so that one would need to reduce cals more with time In order to achieve the same result. OR they would need to add exercise, which is also conventional wisdom.
Would you agree that this: “An extra 10 calories a day puts more weight onto an obese person than on a thinner one.” is because they are looking at people with genetic abnormalities?
genetic abnormalities implies it’s not a giant fraction of the population. I think it’s very likely that either because of historic population genetics or possibly gut flora biomes that different people simply will gain different amounts of weight from the same food over the course of their lives.
Downvoted. You understood what was meant, yet chose to ‘win the argument’ instead of helping correct the wording to make it easier for others to understand.
Example of proper clarification:
“Over time, consuming fewer calories than you burn can make a relatively large difference in your body weight. For example, consuming 100 cals/day less than you burn will yield a ~10 lb body mass decrease per year.”
And yes, this is quite sufficient to kill most people within ten years.