Diet advice you already knew!

There is nothing new, except what has been forgotten- Marie Antoinette

The Obesity Code By Jason Fung is a brilliant account of explain the basics of Obesity. This book includes just enough science to convince the sceptical scientist, but not so much that it confuses those without a background in biology. For more than 30 years doctors have recommended a low-fat, calorie reduced diet as a treatment for obesity. Yet the obesity epidemic continues to accelerate. Virtually, every person who has used calorie reduction diet for weight loss has failed and by every objective measure this treatment is completely and utterly ineffective. Yet it remains the treatment of choice, defended vigorously by nutritional authorities.

All chronic diseases are multifactorial in nature and these factors are not mutually exclusive. The other major barrier in understanding is the focus on short-term studies. Obesity usually takes decades to fully develop. Yet we often rely on information about it from studies that are only of several weeks duration. The important factor is that we are not mice or rats , we are humans and therefore the reference point should be the studies done in humans. Another important factor is to look for causal factors not association factors. Calories may be the proximate (immediately responsible) cause of obesity but not the Ultimate (what started the chain of events) Cause.

The root cause of obesity is a complex hormonal imbalance with high insulin level as its central feature.

The model evolves as follows:

The calorie reduction error: The many false assumptions on which the calorie reduction model is built are as follows:

Assumption-1 : Calorie In and Calories out are independent of each other-

Assumption-2 : Basal Metabolic Rate is stable

Assumption-3 : We exert Conscious control over Calories In

Assumption 4: Fat stores are essentially unregulated

Assumotion-5 : A calorie is a calorie

Calorie reduction is not the primary factor in weight loss

Calorie In-Calories Out= Body Fat

The first law of Thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed in an isolated system . This law is often invoked to support the Calorie theory. But this law has minimal relevance to human Biology for the simple reason that human body is not an isolated System. And this system is tightly regulated by Hormones. The problem of fat accumulation is really a problem of distribution of energy. And much of this distribution is controlled automatically by the hormones. So if the Calorie In is reduced, then how the Calories will be consumed will be decided by the various hormones as body is a very intelligent machine. Reduction in Calorie In reduces the Calorie out and the energy budget of the body is maintained by the process of homeostasis. Measuring calorie intake is simple, but measuring body’s total expenditure is complicated.

Total Energy expenditure = Basal Metabolic Rate +Thermogenic effect of Food +Non-exercise activity thermogenesis +excess post exercise oxygen consumption +exercise.

Hunger Games

The second major adaptation to calorie reduction is the hormonal signal that stimulates hunger increase. The body is pleading with us to eat in order for it to regain the lost weight.

The calorie reduction increases the hormone Ghrelin (Hormone that essentially makes us hungry ) and reduces the satiety (the hormones that makes us feel full ) hormones like- Peptide YY, Amylin & Cholecystokinin.

Exercise & weight loss

Diet & Exercise are not fifty-fifty partners in weight loss. Diet is Batman and Exercise is Robin. Diet does 95% of the work and deserves all the attention. It has many benefits but weight loss is not one of them. Exercise is like brushing your teeth. It is good for you and should be done every day. Just don’t expect to lose weight. The major culprit here is a phenomenon known as “Compensation”. First Calorie intake increases in response to exercise- They don’t call is “working up an appetite” for nothing! And second is reduction in non-exercise activity.

It's like we are writing a final exam called obesity 101. Diet accounts for 95% of grade and exercise only 5%. Yet we spend 50% of our time and energy studying exercise. It is no wonder the our current grade is F-for Fat.

The new model:

Insulin

Insulin is the key and fits snugly into the lock (receptor). The door opens and glucose enters. All cells in the body can use blood sugar. Certain food like refined carbohydrates raise blood sugar more than other foods. The rise in blood sugar stimulates insulin release. Obesity is a Hormonal dysregulation of Fat mass. The body maintains a body set weight, much like a thermostat in a house. When the body set weight is set too high, obesity results.

That set weight is dependent on the insulin level. We do not get fat because we overeat. We overeat because we get fat. Why do we get fat because our thermostat is set too high. Why? Because our insulin levels are too high.

Cortisol

Cortisol is the so called stress hormone, which mediates the flight-or-flight response. Prolonged cortisol stimulation will raise glucose level and subsequently, insulin. This increase in insulin plays a substantial role in the resulting weight gain.

Sleep deprivation is a potent stressor and thus stimulates cortisol. This in turn results in high insulin levels and insulin resistance

Insulin Resistance:

Our body has an inbuilt mechanism to prevent resistance as the hormones are released in spurts and the disappear. But high hormone level and continuous stimulus leads to the phenomenon of resistance- Case in point- regular snacking! Fuelling the increase in eating opportunities was the desire of big food companies to make money. They created an entirely new category called “Snack Food” and promoted relentlessly.

The solution:

Permanent weight loss is actually a two-step process. In the short term, use various diets to bring the actual weight down. In the long term bring the set weight of the body down by taking care of the insulin resistance.

What to eat:

Step 1: Reduce consumption of added sugars- Sugar is particularly fattening because it increases insulin both immediately and over long term.

Read the labels- The bottom line is if it comes in a package it probably contains sugar.

The dessert- Try having foods with natural sugars rather than added ones

Just don’t snack

Make breakfast optional

Consume beverages with no sugar added

Step 2: Reduce ?consumption of Refined grains- Refined grains such as white flour stimulates insulin to a greater degree than virtually any other food. Processing basically removes all the naturally protective components of the food.

Step 3: Moderate Protein Consumption

Step 4: Increase consumption of Natural Fats

Step 5: Increase consumption of Protective factors like fibre

When to eat

The insulin resistance is mainly a problem of Meal timing. AS resistance depend on both persistent and high level. The persistency can be brought done by fasting. Fasting is not starvation. In starvation people have no idea when the next meal will come from. Fasting however is voluntary abstinence from food.

Simply put –“skip a few meals”. Ask a child how to lose weight, and there is a good chance he or she will answer, “skip a few meals”. This suggestion is probably the simplest and most correct answer. But simple answer don’t sell superfoods or diet supplements.

In this book the author has tried to develop a framework for understanding the complexity of Human obesity. A deep and thorough understanding would lead to a rational & successful treatment. It gives us a hope to dream again of a world where type-2 diabetes is eradicated and where metabolic syndrome is abolished. A dream of thinner, healthier tomorrow.

That world. That vision. That dream…….. it starts today.