Table of contents:
- Metabolism is the process of forming energy
- Stages of metabolic processes in the body
- Metabolism does not determine how thin a person is
Have you ever heard that metabolism is the thing that determines whether a person is fat or not? Or, maybe it has reached your ears "fat body due to bad body metabolism". Many blame their slow metabolism for their obesity. But, what exactly is the meaning of metabolism? Is it the same as digesting food? Then, why does metabolism greatly affect body weight?
Metabolism is the process of forming energy
Metabolism is the process by which the body gets energy. So what's the difference with digesting? Is metabolism the same as digesting?
The process of digesting is actually more defined as a process carried out by the body to process and break down food into nutrients. This process occurs entirely in the digestive organs, such as the stomach and intestines. Meanwhile, metabolism is a process in which the body converts nutrients that have been absorbed by the body into energy for use in carrying out bodily functions. This process can occur in various cells in the body. This energy is then used to support all body functions, from breathing, thinking, to doing various activities in one day.
So if sorted, the food will first enter the body through the mouth. Then the food will be crushed in the mouth so that it can be digested and the nutrients are taken in the stomach. After that, the nutrients will be absorbed into the cells. Well, here metabolism occurs, which is when nutrients - such as carbohydrates - become the body's energy.
Stages of metabolic processes in the body
Metabolism is the basic process that occurs in every person - even every living thing - so that their bodily functions can run normally. In the human body, this process occurs in two ways, namely:
- Anabolism. Simply put, the process of anabolism is a process of formation. Various substances that you get from food, will be collected by the body and then formed into a new substance that can be used by the body to carry out its functions. This process occurs when the body repairs damaged tissue, as well as builds and produces various hormones. This process will spending energy.
- Catabolism. Conversely, the catabolism process is identical to breaking down nutrients into smaller ones so that they can be stored by the body. this happens when energy build-up occurs. So, when you eat rice or other staple foods and it is converted by the body to become main energy, that's when catabolism occurs. This process generate energy.
Metabolism does not determine how thin a person is
Are you one of those people who believe that someone who is obese is caused by a slow metabolism? In fact, this is not proven. People who are overweight do not necessarily have a slow metabolism, and vice versa.
However, that does not mean that metabolism has nothing to do with body weight. Instead, the steadily gaining weight occurs as a result of too frequent catabolic processes - where energy is created - and without anabolism - in which the body should use energy to build cells and tissues. Simply put, this makes the body continue to accumulate energy without using it and using it a little.
However, the cause of weight gain is actually quite complicated because it is influenced by various things, not only the person's metabolic rate. Your scale going up could be due to the environment, hormonal problems, or even some other bodily disorder.
So, if you want to have the ideal body weight, you should adopt a healthy lifestyle, do regular exercise, and choose foods that are healthy, low in calories, and low in fat.