Which is healthier: eating a lot and not gaining weight or drinking water and gaining weight?

When it comes to weight loss, people are not created equal. Some lucky people seem to be able to eat as much as they want without gaining weight, while others gain weight even by drinking water.

But is this really the case? Which is healthier: eating a lot and not gaining weight or drinking water and gaining weight?

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Are there really people who can eat a lot without gaining weight?

Maybe there is such a person around you: you see him (her) eating a lot every day, and he (she) also eats a lot when we eat together, even more than me, but he (she) just doesn’t get fat, and I gain weight instead.

Can he (she) eat a lot without gaining weight? Is there really someone who can eat a lot without gaining weight? In fact, there is no one who can eat a lot without gaining weight.

The British BBC once made a documentary about people who thought they could not gain weight. They took special measures to ask them to eat high-calorie foods for 4 weeks and prohibited them from doing any exercise. Finally, they used data to verify whether they would gain weight. After 4 weeks of the experiment, the results showed that all the subjects had a significant increase in weight, but the changes in their weight were large and the parts of their body that gained weight were also different.

Therefore, if a person really does not restrain his or her diet and eats a lot, he or she will eventually become fat. However, the degree of gain is different for different people. Some people gain less weight, while others become out of shape.

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Eating a lot but not getting fat? Drinking water makes you fat?

It may be an illusion

So why do we always feel that there are people who can eat a lot without gaining weight? In fact, this is mainly caused by illusion.

When we observe that people around us can eat without gaining weight, we usually only see him (her) eating occasionally for a few days or even for an occasional meal, but we do not observe his (her) diet and living conditions for a long time.

In fact, people don't eat a lot at every meal, so we can't say that a person can eat a lot without gaining weight just because he (she) eats a lot in one or several meals. The key also lies in his (her) usual eating habits, exercise habits, etc.

Maybe you see him (her) eating a big meal, but after eating he (she) goes to a place where you can't see to work out and lift weights, while you lie down and watch TV series or play games. It would be strange if you don't gain weight.

In fact, for a normal person, if you do nothing every day but sleep and eat, eat and sleep, and eat a lot, you will definitely gain weight. There is no one who does not gain weight.

If there are people who can eat a lot but not gain weight, then they are probably sick, such as cancer, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, intestinal dysfunction, etc., which are not good things. If you really find this kind of situation, it is best to go to the hospital for diagnosis to eliminate the risk of disease.

What about those people who gain weight even by drinking water?

Just like there are people who eat a lot but don’t gain weight, there are also people who gain weight even by drinking water.

Water has no energy. If you really only drink water, it is impossible to directly cause weight gain. Those who "get fat even if they drink water" may drink milk tea and eat fried chicken and barbecue, and do not exercise after eating, which leads to weight gain. In addition, some people may experience edema, which will temporarily increase weight.

In general, under normal circumstances, drinking water will not directly lead to weight gain, and the saying "you get fat by drinking water" does not exist.

The same way of eating

Why the different weights?

Even if people eat the same thing, their weight may be different. Some people seem to gain weight even if they drink a little water and don't eat much, but some people seem to be able to eat a lot of food and not gain weight easily.

Even if people eat about the same amount, their weights may be different, possibly because:

**1. Basal metabolic rate: **Everyone has a different basal metabolic rate, which is the rate at which the body consumes energy. Some people may have a higher basal metabolic rate, which means they can consume more energy even when they are at rest. Therefore, the calories they take in may be consumed faster and not easily converted into fat for storage; but some people are more likely to convert energy into fat for storage in the body, and are more likely to gain weight.

**2. Body fat distribution: **The way some people distribute their body fat may have an impact on weight control. For example, some people may be more likely to store fat around their waist or lower body than in other parts, which may cause them to appear less likely to gain weight.

**3. Eating habits: **Some people may have a higher sense of fullness or feel full more easily, which makes them eat less. In addition, some people may tend to choose low-calorie, high-fiber foods, which helps control the energy intake. Some people prefer to eat high-energy foods. Although the total amount of food they eat is similar, they consume more energy and are more likely to gain weight.

**4. Genetic factors: **Genetics may also affect an individual's ability to control weight to a certain extent. Some people may inherit a lower body fat content or a higher metabolic rate, which makes it easier for them to control their weight.

Which one is healthier?

So, which of these two types of people is healthier?

In fact, there is no simple answer, because to judge whether a person is healthy, we should look at his overall condition.

As long as you pay attention to developing balanced eating habits, ensure the quality of your diet, take in balanced nutrition and exercise moderately, and control your body BMI between 18.5 and 24, you can live a healthy life.

Even if you can eat a lot without gaining weight, it is still unhealthy if you eat and drink too much, stay up late and don’t exercise. If you gain weight even by drinking water, but you pay attention to a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and your weight is within a healthy range, then you don’t need to worry too much.

References

[1]Shalitin S, Moreno LA. Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and Nutrition. World Rev Nutr Diet. 2021;123:38-58. doi: 10.1159/000516452. Epub 2021 Aug 5. PMID: 34404049.

[2]Jiao J. The Role of Nutrition in Obesity. Nutrients. 2023 May 30;15(11):2556. doi: 10.3390/nu15112556. PMID: 37299519; PMCID: PMC10255836.

[3]Oyindasola Kayode, O. (2021). Diet and Obesity. IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.98326

[4]Anselmi P, Vianello M, Robusto E. Preferring thin people does not imply derogating fat people. A Rasch analysis of the implicit weight attitude. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013 Feb;21(2):261-5. doi: 10.1002/oby.20085. PMID: 23532988.

[5]Nature 607, 424 (2022) doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-01909-3Hu, S. et al. Cell Metab. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2022.05.012 (2022).

Planning and production

Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert

Planning丨Zhong Yanping

Editor: Zhong Yanping

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin

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