People who have difficulty storing fat, have high metabolic rates, have genetic diseases, have reduced nutritional absorption, and the impact of fiber… makes them eat a lot but still stay skinny.
According to Dr. Pham Anh Ngan, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital – Facility 3, there are many factors that affect a person’s weight such as the characteristics of the body’s body that easily accumulates fat or has difficulty storing fat, and metabolic rate. Basically, some genetic diseases…
Specifically, body shape and physiological characteristics can be divided into 3 main types including ectomorph (skinny body, difficult to store fat), mesomorph (strong body, large and sturdy skeleton) and endomorph (strong body, large and sturdy skeleton). Fat people have a body that easily accumulates fat). Among them, ectomorphs are a group that has difficulty accumulating fat, low fat percentage, and difficulty increasing muscle mass. People in this group will have difficulty gaining weight even when eating a lot and need a diet rich in calories, protein and healthy fats to support weight gain and muscle gain.
Another factor that affects weight maintenance is basal metabolic rate. Some people have a naturally higher metabolic rate, burning more calories even at rest. High metabolic rate is often related to genetic factors or due to thyroid dysfunction. Metabolic rate can vary between racial groups due to the influence of genetic factors, body composition (muscle mass, fat), and endocrine hormones. Asians, especially East Asians (such as Chinese, Japanese, Koreans), generally have lower metabolic rates than whites and blacks. Studies in Japan and China show that metabolic rate is about 7-12% lower than in Western populations at the same weight level.
Some genetic diseases can affect nutrient absorption, such as cystic fibrosis caused by gene mutations that cause impaired function of the exocrine pancreas, leading to a lack of digestive enzymes. The consequence is that fats, proteins and some fat-soluble vitamins cannot be digested. Or, hereditary gluten intolerance disease is caused by mutations that destroy intestinal villi, reducing the area for absorption of nutrients. Hereditary carbohydrate malabsorption syndrome causes poor absorption of energy from starch, leading to malnutrition.
Eating a lot but still skinny due to poor absorption. Image: Bui Thuy
Additionally, nutrient absorption can decrease due to many habits and factors. Eating too quickly and not chewing thoroughly reduces the ability to absorb nutrients. Using too many supplements or drug interactions. In healthy people, if many supplements are taken, nutrients may compete with each other for absorption. For example, taking too much zinc can interfere with copper absorption.
Besides, the impact of fiber in food groups can also affect weight. Insoluble fiber (such as cellulose) speeds food movement through the intestines and can interfere with the absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Soluble fiber (such as pectin) can bind to bile acids and fats, reducing lipid absorption. Some foods contain natural substances that can inhibit digestive enzymes, such as phytate in nuts and whole grains, reducing the absorption of minerals such as iron, zinc, and calcium. Tannins in tea and coffee inhibit iron absorption. Protease inhibitors in raw beans (e.g. soybeans), reduce protein digestion.
At the same time, according to traditional medicine, people who have difficulty gaining weight belong to certain physical types. It is as if qi deficiency, yang deficiency, blood deficiency, yin deficiency… affect the function of the spleen and stomach. The spiral of physical weakness combined with poor spleen and stomach function will cause the body’s nourishment process to be affected.
In nutrition, traditional medicine pays great attention to nutrition. For people with weak constitutions such as vaginal discharge, it is necessary to focus on easy-to-digest foods such as sticky rice porridge, combined with spices such as ginger, star anise, and herbs such as nutmeg, medlar, and tarragon. For people with weak yang constitution, it is necessary to focus on warm foods such as goat meat, chicken meat, spices such as cinnamon, anise, herbs such as amomum, cardamom, lotus seeds…