Iran Press/ Sci & Tech: According to a 2018 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about half of Americans are trying to lose weight at any one time. The majority say exercise and eating less are the primary means of their attempted weight loss. Sadly, a majority of individuals trying to lose weight will fail at their attempts, gaining all or more weight back over time.
Now, a new review of our understanding of weight gain indicates that people are not necessarily failing at diets; it’s the diet message of moving more and eating less that doomed their efforts from the start. Oversimplification of the calories-in-versus-calories-out message, the authors argue, has led to a nation where almost more than 1 in 3 adults (roughly 42%) are considered to have obesity and the numbers are only getting worse, Today reported.
Hormonal changes are the primary driver of excess fat storage
The paper, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition offers an alternative model to the eat-less-move-more message and argues that success in weight loss, as well as weight-loss maintenance, is more about what you eat and less about how much you eat.
Weight loss, the study found, is all about our hormonal response to certain macronutrients. Study authors include several of the most prominent nutrition scientists in the country.
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The authors found that when high glycemic index foods (which are carbohydrates that cause a rapid increase in blood sugar) are consumed, the body responds via two hormones. It increases insulin (a hormone used to direct sugar into the cells) and suppresses glucagon (a hormone used to release stored glucose when levels are too low).
The combination of the two set up the stage for fat storage by telling our fat cells to store calories. This is due to a rapid rise and subsequent decline in blood sugar that occurs shortly after consuming the high GI food.
The brain senses that critical tissues are deprived of energy and, in response, sends a signal telling the body to eat more. Additionally, the body will do all it can to conserve the little energy and respond by slowing the metabolism.
Essentially, the energy-balance model promotes the continuation of rapid fat storage, increases hunger and cravings and lowers overall metabolism—a dietary recipe for disaster. In addition to obesity, a rise in the risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes also occurs. Perhaps more significantly, however, the model suggests something that science does not support — that quantity of food is preferred over quality.
Hormonal changes drive fat storage, regardless of energy needs
Instead of focusing on the energy-balance model, the authors cite a shift of focus to a carbohydrate-insulin model instead.
As humans, we have different hormonal responses to different types of food. Reduced hunger and controlling the production of insulin are key for sustainable weight loss. The one macronutrient that has the most profound impact on insulin is carbohydrates. Lower-carbohydrate approaches have been found in studies to not only reduce appetite but to limit and control the responses of insulin, glucagon and even leptin. It also has been found to be a sustainable approach to weight loss and an effective dietary pattern for Type 2 diabetes. This all occurs in the absence of counting calories or eating less.
How to change your diet to control your hormones
If you feel that you failed at diets in the past, consider that the diet messages you were given were the actual failure. Now is the time to change the approach to meet the body’s physiological needs.
Eat more high fiber foods
Eating foods higher in fiber helps to delay gastric emptying and increase satiety. High fiber foods that are also lower in carbohydrates include cruciferous vegetables, nuts, seeds and small amounts of beans and whole, intact grains.
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