Changing the Weight Narrative
From eNewsletter 9/27/2021
DID YOU KNOW that a new study adds further fuel to the notion that subsidizing fruit and vegetables might be a good idea? In addition to exercise, according to a study in Journal of Happiness Studies, it is the consumption of fruit and vegetables that makes people happy and not the other way round. Findings demonstrate that the ability to delay gratification and apply self-control plays a major role in influencing lifestyle decisions, which in turn has a positive impact on wellbeing.
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Have a happy, healthy day! Steve and Bonnie Minsky
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Changing the Weight Narrative
Steve and Bonnie: A new perspective published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition argues the root causes of the obesity epidemic are more related to what we eat rather than how much we eat. Challenging the century-old “energy balance model,” which says weight gain occurs because individuals consume more energy than they expend, the authors state, “conceptualizing obesity as a disorder of energy balance restates a principle of physics without considering the biological mechanisms underlying weight gain.” Obesity affects more than 40% of American adults. This does not include those who are overweight. The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020 - 2025 further tells us that losing weight “requires adults to reduce the number of calories they get from foods and beverages and increase the amount expended through physical activity.” Despite decades of public health messaging exhorting people to eat less and exercise more, rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases have steadily risen. An alternate model, the carbohydrate-insulin model, better explains obesity and weight gain. Moreover, the carbohydrate-insulin model points the way to more effective, long-lasting weight management strategies. The carbohydrate-insulin model lays much of the blame for the current obesity epidemic on modern dietary patterns characterized by excessive consumption of foods with a high glycemic load: in particular, processed, rapidly digestible carbohydrates. These foods cause hormonal responses that fundamentally change our metabolism, driving fat storage, weight gain, and obesity. In essence, the process of getting fat causes overeating. When we eat highly processed carbohydrates, the body increases insulin secretion and suppresses glucagon secretion. This, in turn, signals fat cells to store more calories, leaving fewer calories available to fuel muscles and other metabolically active tissues. The brain perceives that the body isn’t getting enough energy, which, in turn, leads to feelings of hunger. In addition, metabolism may slow down in the body’s attempt to conserve fuel. Thus, we tend to remain hungry, even as we continue to gain excess fat. The authors implore that focusing on what we eat rather than how much we eat is a better strategy for weight management. To this, we wholeheartedly agree.