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The Obesity Era

aeonmagazine.com

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Re: The Obesity Era

#11

Post by eightpersimmons »

boneheadmed wrote: post #6

As a practicing Endocrinologist I will go out on a limb and say excess carbohydrates are the problem leading to obesity. Sugar (or sucrose) is a particular problem as it will stimulate insulin release from the pancreas. Insulin promotes storage of glucose and I am convinced, the growth of fat cells. I have seen patients lose a tremendous amount of weight (34 lbs over 7 months) and lower blood glucose and their amount…

This doesn't address what I think was one of the most interesting points in the article - weight gain is present even in lab animals with strictly monitored diets.

The implication being, of course, that this isn't the whole story, and we are doing ourselves a disservice by chalking up everything to diet.

(I don't mean to say you are wrong about this fact by any means - I'm not any kind of expert, and you sound very convincing.)

Re: The Obesity Era

#12

Post by falcolas »

eightpersimmons wrote: post #8
falcolas wrote: post #3

Interesting read; I've encountered many of the problems signaled out here. I'm overweight, and I've changed my life and my diet to try and fix it. When I took note of where I was, I was drinking between 4 and 8 mountain dews a day. I ate candy in prodigious amounts, and constantly ate until I was full. Since then, I altered my diet and eating habits to where I drink no pop, and rarely have any kind of sugary treat. I…

This is one of the most frustrating things about how we, as a society, talk about obesity - we act like you can know something meaningful about a person's lifestyle and health from a single glance. Not to mention the related assumption that a thin body is inherently desirable and worth striving for. A measurement like BMI, which is a great way of looking at a population, is a terrible way of understanding an individu…

> we act like you can know something meaningful about a person's lifestyle and health from a single glance.

Based on your sibling comments (which as of this moment consist of "you're still eating too much food and not exercising enough"), I agree.

Re: The Obesity Era

#13

Post by mixmastamyk »

Interesting. My anecdote comes from a slightly different angle. I've always been in very good shape, lots of weightlifting and cardio my whole life, and been a very healthy eater. But, the "spare-tire" was always there, even with muscles bulging underneath.

Just for kicks I decided to try Steve Gibson's recommendation to remove sugar and starch from the diet. (https://www.grc.com/health/lowcarb.htm)

No knee-jerk here please, this isn't one of those butter-bacon-cheeseburger things. Nope, I eat tons of fresh veggies, lean meats, all smothered in olive-oil, nuts/flax, etc. I do actually allow myself some treats on the weekends for sustainability.

Still, one month later, for the first time in 20 years I no longer have a spare-tire. It makes perfect sense now that I think about it. As long as you fill yourself with sugar/starch you prevent the body from being able to go into fat-burning mode. Eat too much (as is common) and you go into fat-storage mode.

Bread may have built civilization, but now it builds waistlines.

Re: The Obesity Era

#14

Post by boneheadmed »

eightpersimmons wrote: post #11
boneheadmed wrote: post #6

As a practicing Endocrinologist I will go out on a limb and say excess carbohydrates are the problem leading to obesity. Sugar (or sucrose) is a particular problem as it will stimulate insulin release from the pancreas. Insulin promotes storage of glucose and I am convinced, the growth of fat cells. I have seen patients lose a tremendous amount of weight (34 lbs over 7 months) and lower blood glucose and their amount…

This doesn't address what I think was one of the most interesting points in the article - weight gain is present even in lab animals with strictly monitored diets. The implication being, of course, that this isn't the whole story, and we are doing ourselves a disservice by chalking up everything to diet. (I don't mean to say you are wrong about this fact by any means - I'm not any kind of expert, and you sound very c…

I did read that point and find it perplexing. I would like to see hard data about that. For instance is the general diet for laboratory rats now the same as it was 50 years ago?

But also, if you have a look at my abstract, it does point to another potential cause of obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans (but naturally not the lab animals) - food addiction. The patients in this study were also successful (presumably) because they were actively involved in a 12 step program for food addiction.

On a personal note, I lost 30 lbs over 6 months by pretty much eliminating sucrose from my diet and also consuming a lower amount of carbohydrates (120 - 180 grams per day).

Re: The Obesity Era

#15

Post by asteli »

The article points to by-products of industrialization (namely industrial chemicals and artificial lighting) as potential culprits in the case of rising obesity, but the distribution of obesity doesn't match level of industrialization across countries. Obesity is seemingly focused in North America plus other anglophone countries, while mostly absent in other highly industrialized countries like Japan and Norway. Red herring, perhaps?

Re: The Obesity Era

#16

Post by TeMPOraL »

jurassic wrote: post #10
boneheadmed wrote: post #6

As a practicing Endocrinologist I will go out on a limb and say excess carbohydrates are the problem leading to obesity. Sugar (or sucrose) is a particular problem as it will stimulate insulin release from the pancreas. Insulin promotes storage of glucose and I am convinced, the growth of fat cells. I have seen patients lose a tremendous amount of weight (34 lbs over 7 months) and lower blood glucose and their amount…

If anyone is interested in trying this diet, there's a good support community at reddit.com/r/keto

I've lost 12 kg over 2 months of keto, so I endorse this :). Since then I returned to eating what I used to eat, but with less bread and pretty much 0 sugar (I got used to artificial sweetener and diet coke) and so far (4 months) I'm able to maintain my weight (with +/- 1kg variation).

One thing I noticed while on keto is that it reduced my appetite a bit.

Re: The Obesity Era

#17

Post by mixmastamyk »

eightpersimmons wrote: post #11
boneheadmed wrote: post #6

As a practicing Endocrinologist I will go out on a limb and say excess carbohydrates are the problem leading to obesity. Sugar (or sucrose) is a particular problem as it will stimulate insulin release from the pancreas. Insulin promotes storage of glucose and I am convinced, the growth of fat cells. I have seen patients lose a tremendous amount of weight (34 lbs over 7 months) and lower blood glucose and their amount…

This doesn't address what I think was one of the most interesting points in the article - weight gain is present even in lab animals with strictly monitored diets. The implication being, of course, that this isn't the whole story, and we are doing ourselves a disservice by chalking up everything to diet. (I don't mean to say you are wrong about this fact by any means - I'm not any kind of expert, and you sound very c…

I was thinking about that myself and came up with the idea that perhaps their diet is changing.

I wouldn't be surprised if laboratory food was centralized around corporations just like human food. Meaning, I bet cheaper ingredients (more wheat/corn) have made their way into it over time. I can't imagine such peripheral industries not being affected.

Re: The Obesity Era

#18

Post by johnrob »

mixmastamyk wrote: post #13

Interesting. My anecdote comes from a slightly different angle. I've always been in very good shape, lots of weightlifting and cardio my whole life, and been a very healthy eater. But, the "spare-tire" was always there, even with muscles bulging underneath. Just for kicks I decided to try Steve Gibson's recommendation to remove sugar and starch from the diet. ( https://www.grc.com/health/lowcarb.htm ) No knee-jerk he…

Bread now builds waistlines only because we eat too much of it. I would be surprised if a normal sized person gained weight eating mostly carbs but staying below 1500 calories per day.

Re: The Obesity Era

#19

Post by null_ptr »

People that lack analytical thinking are doomed. They are preyed on from every angle by unscrupulous companies peddling their processed garbage. No sandwich without mayo, no salad without dressing, no food marketed to children without loads of sugar and artificial ingredients. Entire aisles of frozen fatty foods, entire aisles of soda and chips. Shelves and shelves of sugar-laced yogurt. The key lies in the individual's hands, but governments must step in and put an end to the criminal businesses that peddle their poison to a largely ignorant population.

Re: The Obesity Era

#20

Post by boneheadmed »

mixmastamyk wrote: post #17
eightpersimmons wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This doesn't address what I think was one of the most interesting points in the article - weight gain is present even in lab animals with strictly monitored diets. The implication being, of course, that this isn't the whole story, and we are doing ourselves a disservice by chalking up everything to diet. (I don't mean to say you are wrong about this fact by any means - I'm not any kind of expert, and you sound very c…

I was thinking about that myself and came up with the idea that perhaps their diet is changing. I wouldn't be surprised if laboratory food was centralized around corporations just like human food. Meaning, I bet cheaper ingredients (more wheat/corn) have made their way into it over time. I can't imagine such peripheral industries not being affected.

I think that what you're saying is most likely what is happening.
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