Hardly. Although the so-called slow metabolism does in fact exist (caused by Cushing’s Syndrome and hypothyroidism), it’s very rare, and the odds of it being solely responsible for your overweight or obesity, extremely slim.
Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into the energy needed to function. Without energy you wouldn’t be able to go for a walk or to work, your heart would stop beating and damaged cells wouldn’t be repaired. The amount of calories your body uses for these basic functions, known as the basal metabolic rate, involves different aspects:
–Your body size and composition. The heavier you are or the greater your muscle mass, the more calories you’ll burn, even during sleep. This means that people who weigh more usually have a higher, not lower, metabolic rate, since part of this excess weight is made up of muscle tissue.
–Your sex. Men typically have less body fat and more muscle mass than women of the same age, therefore burning more calories.
–Your age. As we get older and our muscle mass decreases, our metabolic rate slows down (we burn fewer calories).
As you can see, a slow metabolism is probably not to blame. Factors more likely to contribute to weight gain include limited physical activity, excess calories, certain medications and genetics. However, if you feel that you may have a metabolic condition, talk to both your program advisor and your doctor, who can recommend tests and, if needed, determine a treatment plan.
The last thing you should do is trust dietary supplements to increase your metabolism: most of the time they’re too good to be true, and can cause unwanted, even dangerous side effects.
