# Body Weight and the Immune System



## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/...ons-immune-system-obesity-microbiome/595384/?



> Instead, it is becoming clear that some people’s guts are simply more efficient than others’ at extracting calories from food. When two people eat the same 3,000-calorie pizza, for example, their bodies absorb different amounts of energy. And those calorie-converting abilities can change over a person’s lifetime with age and other variables.
> 
> The question is, why? And is it possible to make changes, if a person wanted to?
> 
> If so, the solution will involve the trillions of microbes in our intestines and how they work in concert with another variable that’s just beginning to get attention. The immune system determines levels of inflammation in the gut that are constantly shaping the way we digest food—how many calories get absorbed, and how many nutrients simply pass through.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Thanks for posting this. I have always said it's not as simple as counting calories. Calories alone cannot possibly explain why one person can consume more than 3,000 calories a day and never gain a pound, yet another person with the same level of activity gains weight with only 1,800 calories a day.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

Your biome changes based on your diet - a vegetarian has different bacteria in different numbers than a meat eater. So yes, a healthy gut biome is important.

There are other things related to gut of equal or greater importance.

Leaky gut - the gut lining is only 1 cell thick, and the cells can be pried apart by certain foods, chemicals, etc. When this happens, undigested food, bacteria, LPS's, and other toxins can enter directly into the blood stream.
Lack of stomach acid - when food hits the stomach, stomach acid partially breaks down the food before it enters the gut. Some people don't make enough, which becomes more common as we get older.
Digestive Enzymes - these are needed in the gut to digest food. There are different types - fat, carbs, and protein digestive enzymes. Some people don't make enough of 1 type or another, gall bladder removal, age.
And then there is cell metabolism. Certain proteins are required for fats and glucose to enter the cell to be turned into energy. Your genes and environment can influence how well the cells metabolize fats and glucose.

One other thing that effects weight loss is toxins. If you have high amounts of lead or mercury (and others) stored in your fat, as you lose weight you might dump so much heavy metals into the blood that your body will create cravings so you will start putting fat back on to store the overload of toxins.


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