I've always wondered whether overeating was genetic in any way. If it is, my sister sure didn't get that gene! My sister can feel "full" after eating 1/4 of her dinner and I can tell that food never crosses her mind. She's one of those people who you have to remind to eat whereas I think about food incessantly (sometimes not in a bad way, I'm a real foodie ). Has anyone else experienced this with siblings/family members? I really think we were wired differently- she eats like a bird and I eat like a starved animal!
I can't remember with my sister, but I think we had similar appetites (she was killed in 1991). But my kids all have different appetites. My older 2 eat until they are full period. They also tend to avoid junk food on their own. My youngest until recently was a bottomless pit ESPECIALLY with junk food. Now he's been cooking with me and because of that becoming more aware of food, and I wouldn't say he's eating less volume, but less calories and healthier choices because he's making them. My husband and 2 of his sisters eat like it's their last meal, whereas his brother and his one thin sister (his other 2 are 150+ pounds overweight each) eat until they are full I guess because I rarely see them overeat.
I think it's partially genetic, but also I do think emotionally some of us overeat to fill a void, sometimes because we don't want to hurt someone's feelings by not eating it all or something, and sometimes because your parents are always about cleaning your plate. I don't think there is any one answer though.
I totally believe this. In fact, I believe that intra-species differences in appetite are significantly greater than differences in metabolism. I say this because we all have common biochemical pathways to keep our organs going and to process nutrients, so there's only so much the energy expenditure can vary. Appetite, on the other hand, is a complex drive with both physiological and psychological determinants, so it stands to reason that it would exhibit greater variability among humans.
I often wonder the same thing. My two sisters eat like birds and barely seem to think about food. I on the other hand, would NEVER forget to eat and am constantly thinking about food- I love it and I enjoy eating. Anyway, I tend to think overeating is not genetic, but a consequence of emotional/psychological issues or learned behavior from parents/adults.
I actually had a talk about this with my younger sister the other day! She's a tiny 4'10 with size 2.5-3 feet (us size or 33 european) and weighs just under 80lbs. Basically she's like a little doll!
We both think about food a lot. If we're not eating, we're planning our next meal. We love going out to eat and are always sharing new places to try. However, unlike me, she has a built in safety mechanism. Whenever she eats out, she gets her full signal very very quickly (usually within 15-20 mins of eating which makes it difficult for her when she's trying to feed her 2 year old while also eating as she feels full with barely any food eaten). If she tries to eat more when she's feeling full, she can't because she finds it nauseating. To compensate, she does eat quite a lot of snacks but her portion sizes tend to be small even if it's icecream or oreos or something else unhealthy.
I must admit I'm jealous since she makes it seem so easy. To her, 1 scoop of ice cream really is enough. To me, it'd be more like 3-4! On the plus side, when I'm out with her, I do try and take my eating cues from her and my mum (also a small eater). Basically I pace myself with them and try and stop within a few bites of them.
Very disconcerting this subject! I do feel a lot of it is to do with learnt behavior. Tis true that genes do shape the programming of our bodies but mental stress can damage the most of our abilities.
As a child I had to go to the hospital every six months because of a heart defect. My mother would get so upset each time and then afterwards we would go into a tea room (as they used to be called) and have cakes and tea. So the combination of stress and the ensuing delicous cakes became the norm.
Our family life was a very disfunctional one so the same pattern would be set there too. All my sisters and my brother tend to be very overweight as are many of my aunts and uncles.
I agree with many of you that there is a definite psychological factor with eating behaviors. I think what I was getting at is that regardless of any psychological attachments that people have with food, it is interesting to see the differences in actual appetite especially within a family. I don't consider the way I think about food disordered in any way, yet my appetite has always been on the larger side. If my sister and I were both given a plate of food, I would have no problem finishing it, while my sister would maybe finish half. It's interesting to consider the science behind why some people consume more food than others (not taking into account any psychological issues concerning food).
I wonder why my "full" signal goes off later than others. Anyone who could shed light on the scientific reasoning behind this, it would be much appreciated!
I know my own family makes a good case for genetic factors (although of course a single family doesn't prove anything).
My brother and I were adopted (we're not biologically related to each other or to our parents). In our teens, our parents had our sisters (their bio-kids, born about two years apart, about the same age difference between my brother and myself).
I was the only person in my family to be overweight (let alone obese, as I was) as a child (or for that matter before mid twenties). My mother and grandmother started gaining weight in their mid-to-late twenties and gained the most in middle-age. I weighed 225 lbs by 8th grade, and 305 lbs by the time I graduated college at 21. I weighed 375 lbs when I met my husband and 394 when we married (my highest weight).
No one in my family ever got close to 300 lbs, let alone to almost 400 lbs. And for as long as I can remember, I've been hungry 24/7, often the more I ate the hungrier I got (I now know the hunger is mostly carb- and hormone-driven, so as long as I'm on bc and eating low-carb, I can keep hunger under decent control... didn't know that as a kid though, although by the time I was 11 or 12 we already knew that I was MUCH hungrier during TOM - I had the luck of hitting puberty at 9).
And while from the age of kindergarten, I've struggled with hunger and weight, my brother struggled to keep weight ON. He ate non-stop, but had the metabolism (and activity level) of a hummingbird. He was in constant motion, and I loved reading. My parents would have to force me outside to play (but because I was already overweight, I already hated sweating just about more than anything, I did love swimming though... even though I learned early that I was supposed to be ashamed to be seen in a bathing suit... because all fat girls were supposed to).
Our sisters (Mom and Dad's bio-kids) take after our parents. One takes after dad, and has never had a weight problem, and eats pretty much normally (she is somewhat health conscious being a dietitian, but she also eats and feeds her kids a lot of crap for a dietitian. They eat healthy food for meals, but then snack a lot, but they have the metabolisms to handle it, it seems). She joined Weight Watchers after her third pregnancy and lost the lose 15 lbs to reach goal (in 6 weeks!). After her first preganacy, she looked fit less than a week after having the baby (Yeah, a part of me hates her).
If she continues to follow dad's pattern, she might have a little trouble with her waistline after retirement, but she'll get that under control within a year or two, as Dad did (for a while HE looked about 7 months pregnant).
My other sister has followed after Mom. Thin and athletic until her late 20's, when she started gaining weight mostly in her hips and thighs (in fact, almost exclusively in her hips and thighs... the classic pear getting pearier and pearier every year). She eats about average, with a bit too much of a sweet tooth (like Mom). If she follows Mom's pattern, she'll probably top out at about 240 to 260 (though I doubt it, because she's much better informed about healthful dieting than Mom was at her age).
I actually had a decent metabolism when I was younger, because I ate CONSTANTLY. I was fairly active except for liking to read a little too much. I swam a lot, especially in college (never competed, that would have been WAY too embarassing), but I was constantly hungry. Dieting only made the hunger worse.
I never once said, "I don't know why I'm fat," and used to say "I'll never say I eat like a bird, except maybe a turkey vulture."
What's scary now though, is that my appetite has dramatically shrunk, both incidentally and by design, but the calorie level that once would net me 5 to 8 lb losses per week for MONTHS, know only earns me about 1 to 2 lbs a MONTH.
My activity level is lower, but with that kind of difference, you'ld think I'd have to be comatose to get that kind of metabolic drop. Oh well, you get what you get.
I probably will be able to recover some metabolic function with more and more weight loss and exercise, but I have to remind myself constantly that I can't compare my current losses to those of others, or even to previous versions of myself. It is what it is, and I've got to deal with that.
Still, it does make me wonder just how strong the genetic component is to weight loss. I've stopped judging others AND myself for having difficulty with weight loss. It is a hard job, and our genetics (and our culture) often don't make it any easier.
I am very glad that I did find low-carb and paleo dieting and 3FC and TOPS They've all been very powerful tools in my fat-fighting arsenal.
My younger brother eats and eats and pretty much never stops eating. He isn't crazy into junk food like I was, but it doesn't mean he eats healthy. He won't eat a bag of chips or a box of chocolates but he will scarf down 2 boxes of KD, make a massive sandwich and then eat the equivalent of 3 bowls of cereal. All within a short few hours. He is about 5'10 and super super skinny and lanky. No matter what he eats, he stays skinny.
My older brother also has a hearty appetite but can easily gain weight. He has to watch what he eats and exercise in order to prevent weight gain. He was slightly overweight as a teenager/young adult, but just turned 30 this year. At around 27, he started working out and has been able to keep the weight off for the most part. About 5 months ago he did his final "weight loss" extreme exercise plan and is as lean as he will be able to go (He's naturally more muscular and "big boned than my younger brother). However, once he eats a huge meal, hes good for hours.
I however have always eaten junk food like no tomorrow. I also have a huge appetite and can easily finish a full restaurant meal and still want more. However, like my older brother, I gain weight super easily and have to be careful with the amounts I eat. Unlike both of my siblings, I will want to eat just a few hours after my previous meal that had made me "stuffed".
Siblings and appetite differences
). Has anyone else experienced this with siblings/family members? I really think we were wired differently- she eats like a bird and I eat like a starved animal!
