The surprising truth about metabolism and weight control

How does one's metabolism change over the course of life? Is obesity written in our genes? What if "middle-age spread" has less to do with age and more to do with how modern life quietly changes the way we eat, move and live?

In this episode of Health Talk, John Roger Speakman, a foreign academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief scientist at the Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, unpacks some of the biggest myths surrounding metabolism and weight management.

Drawing on his recent research, Speakman explains the pattern of metabolism changes throughout life, discusses why some people still struggle to lose weight despite exercising regularly, and talks about how genetics may influence body weight far more deeply than we realize.

From the science behind the "doubly labeled water" method, which is one of the world's most advanced energy expenditure measurements, to the hidden mechanics of energy balance, this talk offers a fascinating look into how the body really works and how we can manage our bodies to live more healthily.

Executive producer: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Directors: Chen Hongyu, Wang Yuxin

Video editor: Wang Yuxin

Cover designers: Liu Shaozhen, Liang Qian