Obesity

Rice isn't the culprit. It is a grain no different than wheat. Yes, brown rice would be a bit healthier, just as whole wheat bread is better than white bread, but that is not the issue. I eat far more rice daily than most Filipinos could ever dream of (at least 300 grams of carbs a day) and my body fat levels are far lower than the average person. The issue is all the added sugars, fruit juices stripped of all their fiber and loaded with additional sugar, soft drinks (flavored sugar water), excessive alcohol and fast food consumption, prepackaged foods and, as you mentioned, a complete lack of physical activity...basically an adoption of the American diet and way of life. Calories (work) in vs calories (work) out is all that matters when it comes to weight loss or gain. Nobody can break the laws of thermodynamics. I don't care what a person eats, when a person eats, how many times a person eats per day, what a person's dietary macro breakdown is or what medical or genetic condition a person claims to have, you just can't break the laws of physics. If a person is fat it is due to them overeating.

 

Your metabolism does not and cannot break the laws of physics. Unless you are tracking your calories daily you have no idea how many calories you are actually eating. Being off from your maintenance intake by only 100 calories a day could result in quite a bit of weight loss or gain (and studies have found that most people underestimate there intake by 500 calories). If your activity levels are irregular that further complicates figuring out what is causing weight gain or loss. No meaningful information on your weight loss can be determined without accurate numbers.

 

Genetics certainly do play a part but it is an overplayed excuse by over/under eaters.

Metabolisms can swing based off activity levels and food intake. Example: if I cut weight for 8-12 weeks by eating at a 500 calorie deficit my basal metabolic rate may dip by several hundred calories (or more) by the end of that cut. To transition to a bulk I wouldn't just switch from a 500 calorie deficit to a 500 calorie surplus. I would slowly ramp my intake up by 100 calories per week to give my body time to adjust and to avoid excess fat gain while trying to build muscle.

I'm sure they do but most of that is probably going to be due to lower activity levels. This is also a severely overplayed excuse by people that are obese and regularly fail with fad diets. There are "hard gainers" (those that don't put on weight easily) as wells. I believe most of these people, excluding those with medical conditions, have a hard time putting on weight due to chronic undereating and/or how much they fidget throughout the day. This fidgeting/pacing/small movement does burn calories and does result in additional calories (and fat) being burned.

I don't know but I suspect the answer is yes...but I also suspect this would be a minor effect that could easily be resolved through dietary changes for the vast majority of people.

Sure, this is something a person should take into consideration with their diet if they have a medical condition. I don't have this concern so I know little about it. There is plenty of information out there if this is a concern.

Again, usually due to being less active. I hear a lot of guys say that when they were a kid they could eat anything and not gain a pound. This is confusing to me since they likely weren't the same height or weight at 18 as they were when they were 10 years old. They just didn't notice the growth when they were growing up. Now that they are growing out it gets noticed.

See above.

Yeah.

It would seem that one would get through the digestion part and into your blood stream a lot quicker, wouldn't it? Our bodies might freak out a bit trying to deal with that. Over time this may cause problems for some people.

Are we talking artificial sweeteners? I don't think there is any evidence that it is horrible for our bodies (such as cancer) if used like a reasonable person would but I believe there is some evidence that it can raise your hunger levels and possibly do something to your blood sugar levels (not sure on that last one, would need to look for that again). If I remember correctly the hunger and (possibly) blood sugar thing has something to do with your taste buds getting hit with sweetness and signaling to your body that calories are coming in. Then when no energy is present your body gives you a "wtf was that?!" (Very medical terminology there, I hope I didn't lose anyone.)

I feel this when I drink a coffee with sweetener in it, my body demands that I eat something. The simple fix... I eat some breakfast.

However, with all that being said the primary way to lose weight is still to eat less calories than you burn (you don't even need to exercise, though that will make it much easier). People like to get caught up in all these smaller weight change drivers and avoid a major diet change or they use the things mentioned above as excuses for why they have failed to see any changes in their weight. Many need to put down the microscope and take a wider look at their lifestyle.

If you want sources for any of that I can try to find it.