METABOLISM - BODY FUNCTIONS - HEALTH INFO

INFLUENCES

Your metabolism is influenced by few factors, and is basically determined by your genetics, your physical activity level, and what you eat. Fact is, your metabolism is set for each person and whatever attempts at changing it you attempt, the results will not lead to a large shift in your metabolic rate.

Through heredity, you may or may not have recieved genes from your parents giving you a disease or syndrome that causes you to have a low basal metabolic rate. Few people suffer from illnesses that drastically reduce their metabolisms to a point that makes it next to impossible for them to avoid massive weight gain. These illnesses are rare, but are very difficult to cope with. Some people are born with a body that naturally possesses a metabolism that burns calories at a heightened rate, making those people capable of eating larger quantities of calories without much weight gain.

Your age also plays a part. For people with an avaerage metabolism, their teen years offer them a higher metabolic rate. This increased metabolism allows teens to eat without gaining weight. After these years, beginning typically in the 20's, one's metabolism will begin to slow down, which makes it harder to maintain their weight without making changes to their eating habits.

Exercise is the biggest contributor to metabolic rate, it has been shown that exercising 3 times a week and including aerobic workouts can affect one's metabolism as much as it can be altered.

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Dean Ornish