Do you know people who can eat anything they want and however much they want and they never seem to gain weight?

If you have the opposite tendency of seemingly gaining weight just by looking at a piece of cake or bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy, these perpetual slender people only make you more self-conscious and envious. I know, for forty years, that described my wife and me. When we were married, she stood 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 95 pounds with a 17-inch waist. Over the years, I watched her eat more food in a day than I did and it seemed that she never gained weight, until she hit 60.

Her dad was much the same way. He was about the same height and weighed 135 pounds his entire adult life. Over the years, he never varied more than 2 pounds plus or minus from that 135-pound mark.

Genetics. A boon to some and curse to others, as I was just the opposite. I could eat less than she did over the course of a day and still gain weight. If I ate the way she did, I would be twice my size.

Fortunately, I have always been able to lose weight nearly as fast as I gain weight. I can go on a strict diet and exercise and lose 10-20 pounds a month for several months running.

But not everyone can lose weight as easily as I can and there are numerous reasons for why.

My oldest daughter was pumped full of steroids for an injury and it caused her to put on a lot of weight. Steroid weight is difficult to lose, but she was losing it until she started exhibiting other health issues which was finally diagnosed as a very rare non-hereditary mutational condition known as McCune-Albright Syndrome. One of the facets of MAS is tumors and she developed a pituitary tumor that caused her body to over-produce growth hormones. Even though she was dieting and exercising, she continued to gain weight. She also gained close to 2-inches of height in her mid-30s.

However, not everyone has a rare disorder or a tumor or other medical conditions that hinder weight loss. They diet and exercise and measure their weight loss, if any, in ounces instead of pounds.

If that describes you or someone you know, then perhaps you need to have your poop tested.

According to a recent study:

“New research by the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports at the University of Copenhagen has shown that differing proportions of gut bacteria can determine how much weight a person is able to lose – the findings suggest that a “one size fits all” approach doesn’t work…”

“The researchers found that those who had a higher ratio of Prevotella to Bacteroides and followed the New Nordic Diet lost more body fat than those with the same ratio following the Average Danish Diet.”

“When the ratio was reversed, there was no difference in weight loss between the two diets.”

Mads Hjorth, author of the study commented:

“People with a high Prevotella/Bacteroides ratio were more susceptible to body fat loss on a diet rich in fibre and wholegrain compared to an average Danish diet.”

One thing the researchers stated is that their findings prove that what works for one person, may not necessarily work for others. They emphasized that dieting and weight loss should be tailored to each individual, exploring what does and doesn’t work for each person.

They also recommended that if you are one of those who seem to have a difficult time losing weight after dieting and exercising, that it may be beneficial to have a sample of your poop tested for bacterial content. That could provide the answer you have longed sought and get you on the road to losing weight.