The #1 Cause of Obesity: Insulin

caraiselite

Why focus on weight loss instead of fat loss? Low carb diets initially have greater weight loss due to water/glycogen losses, but fat loss is not significantly different between the two. There's only like 2 or 3 tightly controlled studies that I know of off hand that show a metabolic advantage to low carb diets, the vast majority do not. Then if you were to look at all the ad lib studies and you still only have about 50% that show greater fat loss with low carb

Actually, my focus is on the health benefits of a low carb diet since cancer, diabetes and heart disease are in my family. That's what convinced me to try what I considered a fad diet for the last twenty years.

What I didn't expect was how I would feel after a few short weeks of lowering my carbs even though I'd been eating what I thought was a healthy diet of lean meat, nuts, low fat dairy, whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables for the last six months and losing weight just fine. So I guess the only thing further to add to that is I hope I'm part of the group who experience greater fat loss and that the research into low carb diets continues so we can find out more--and that someone else found the links I posted in the beginning helpful.

great post!

mdelcott

bump for later

Sublog

I just recently found this website (Swedish doctor promoting a low carb, high fat, real food diet) so some of this has probably been discussed here before but it's new to me and there's a terrific explanation (hypothesis?) of what's driving the obesity epidemic in the US and around the world.

This 3rd episode of “The Skinny on Obesity” may be the best short video on obesity I’ve seen. Not because dr Robert Lustig tells me something I didn’t already know, but because he explains it so crystal clear that a kid will understand. -Andreas Eenfeldt, MD

It's only 8 minutes:
http://www.dietdoctor.com/the-1-cause-of-obesity-insulin

If you like a little more science to go with your easy to understand videos there's also this page:
http://www.dietdoctor.com/science

You do realize the #1 cause for over insulin production is an energy surplus, right?

Read this for more info

http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319

LeggyKettleBabe

yep this makes bout the 5th insulin is evil post this week. GOLD STAR FOR YOU

Panda_1999

Bump for later viewing/reading

LATeagno

It took me years-- YEARS-- to understand why low carb diets work for me. In 2006, I lost 70 lbs. by eating bacon, eggs and steak. I didn't eat very healthily-- I ate tons of fat and lost. That's not a balanced diet by any means. Did it work? Yes. Did it make me cry when I looked at cupcakes? Yes. To be completely honest, all it did was make my relationship with food worse. In the longterm, I gained the weight back. Surprise.

Now, six years later, I understand why low carbohydrate (low processed carb, anyway) eating is so important-- and so useful-- for me. When my insulin levels hang between a cozy 70 and 100, my appetite stabilizes. I never, ever, EVER feel ravenous. My body tells me when I'm hungry. When it does, I eat whole foods as much as possible. Lots of fat, moderate protein and low carb. I get lots of veggies and berries as well-- even Greek yogurt when I want it. It's the fact that my blood sugar never spikes that leaves me in control of my food and in turn, in control of myself.

It's not about gorging on lard and cheese. It's about finding extremely slow burning carbs in small amounts that will never raise your blood sugar much above 100 to begin with. I'm never famished. I'm actually able to turn away a half-eaten plate of food because I'm just not hungry anymore.

Is it about calories too? Absolutely. But seriously, eating a 50carb/25 protein/25 fat ratio in my diet leaves me feeling hungry ALL the time. Those carbs-- and even proteins-- send insulin levels up and down and up and down over and over. When they are relatively stable to begin with, I'm golden. At that point, weight loss becomes effortless.

That's not to say that my addiction of carbs and sugar doesn't occasionally scream at me and make it hard to say no to a donut. It does. But let me tell you, when my blood sugar is 80 and has been there all day without going up and down much, it's a LOT easier for me to say no. Low carb, high nutrient (and high fat, saturated or not) is a win-win. Does it promote weight loss? Sure. The real beauty of it, though, is that it makes weight loss TOLERABLE. It makes you not want to eat all the time. It is a real gift for the obese, although the first few days of it are absolute hell.

AlabasterVerve

Thanks for sharing your experience, LATeagno. It is absolutely wonderful not feeling like I need to eat constantly--I haven't felt like this in years.

LATeagno

[\quote]
with your easy to understand videos there's also this page:
http://www.dietdoctor.com/science
[/quote]

You do realize the #1 cause for over insulin production is an energy surplus, right?

Read this for more info

http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319
[/quote]


Yes, but the whole point of the video is that excess insulin increases appetite thus causing this extra insulin. It is a circle.

LATeagno

Thanks for sharing your experience, LATeagno. It is absolutely wonderful not feeling like I need to eat constantly--I haven't felt like this in years.

Some people don't get it. I think that's because each of us are different. It's definitely nice to have a controlled appetite!

Spanaval

My problem is always with villification where it is not called for. This thread is an improvement in the sense that there are studies cited, even if they aren't exactly understood.

As for anecdotes, I eat a high carb diet, and weigh 112 lbs. At my heighest, eating the same stuff in higher quantity, I weighed 123. What does this mean for the evils of fats or proteins or whatever the villain of the day is? Not a damn thing. Calories in, calories out. Barring a medical condition that requires reducing a particular macro, there is no need to do it. If it makes you feel better to eat that way, by all means, knock yourself out, but don't make a villain out of macros or hormones that are undeserving of it.

tigersword

with your easy to understand videos there's also this page:
http://www.dietdoctor.com/science

You do realize the #1 cause for over insulin production is an energy surplus, right?

Read this for more info

http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/?page_id=319

Yes, but the whole point of the video is that excess insulin increases appetite thus causing this extra insulin. It is a circle.

Just so long as you are aware that circular arguments are a logical fallacy, and not actually a valid argument. One problem causes another. One problem can't cause itself. Excess insulin can't cause excess insulin, it is excess insulin.

Also, insulin suppresses appetite, it doesn't increase it.

mmapags

Thanks for sharing your experience, LATeagno. It is absolutely wonderful not feeling like I need to eat constantly--I haven't felt like this in years.

Some people don't get it. I think that's because each of us are different. It's definitely nice to have a controlled appetite!

Someone asked earlier about the fact that protein causes insulin to spike also and I don't recall seeing an answer. So, how could insulin be the culprit if a low carb/ high protein diet is effective?

mmapags

My problem is always with villification where it is not called for. don't make a villain out of macros or hormones that are undeserving of it.

Totally agree! It's never that simple.

tigersword

If high insulin causes obesity, then why is it banned as a performance enhancing drug in athletics? Why aren't the bodybuilders who constantly inject themselves with insulin obese?

BeanQueen3000

Everyone keeps using the word "science". I do not think that word means what you think it means.

Holy gishgallop, batman.

cobracars

You realize that scientists NEVER speak in absolutes, right? Whenever you hear someone speaking in absolutes, you can promptly disregard everything they have to say.

So did you mean to say "Many times when you hear someone speaking in absolutes..."

Or should I disregard your statement as an absolute also? :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

chica23GK

It took me years-- YEARS-- to understand why low carb diets work for me. In 2006, I lost 70 lbs. by eating bacon, eggs and steak. I didn't eat very healthily-- I ate tons of fat and lost. That's not a balanced diet by any means. Did it work? Yes. Did it make me cry when I looked at cupcakes? Yes. To be completely honest, all it did was make my relationship with food worse. In the longterm, I gained the weight back. Surprise.

Now, six years later, I understand why low carbohydrate (low processed carb, anyway) eating is so important-- and so useful-- for me. When my insulin levels hang between a cozy 70 and 100, my appetite stabilizes. I never, ever, EVER feel ravenous. My body tells me when I'm hungry. When it does, I eat whole foods as much as possible. Lots of fat, moderate protein and low carb. I get lots of veggies and berries as well-- even Greek yogurt when I want it. It's the fact that my blood sugar never spikes that leaves me in control of my food and in turn, in control of myself.

It's not about gorging on lard and cheese. It's about finding extremely slow burning carbs in small amounts that will never raise your blood sugar much above 100 to begin with. I'm never famished. I'm actually able to turn away a half-eaten plate of food because I'm just not hungry anymore.

Is it about calories too? Absolutely. But seriously, eating a 50carb/25 protein/25 fat ratio in my diet leaves me feeling hungry ALL the time. Those carbs-- and even proteins-- send insulin levels up and down and up and down over and over. When they are relatively stable to begin with, I'm golden. At that point, weight loss becomes effortless.

That's not to say that my addiction of carbs and sugar doesn't occasionally scream at me and make it hard to say no to a donut. It does. But let me tell you, when my blood sugar is 80 and has been there all day without going up and down much, it's a LOT easier for me to say no. Low carb, high nutrient (and high fat, saturated or not) is a win-win. Does it promote weight loss? Sure. The real beauty of it, though, is that it makes weight loss TOLERABLE. It makes you not want to eat all the time. It is a real gift for the obese, although the first few days of it are absolute hell.

Ditto. I relate to what you said, having once been on a successful hi-protein diet (which included very low fruits & veggies). I too gained it all back & plus, but I know higher protein & no processed carbs are ideal so I'm finding my own balance (and MFP helps me to do this by tracking my macros). This post raised an interesting & valid topic ... insulin & obesity. My mom & sister are diabetic. Thanks for all the civil input.

alasin1derland

I have been dieting my whole life and still fat. I have noticed that when logging foods to keep calories at a deficit I feel so much better when eating whole foods then when I eat sugary foods. Same deficit but better quality. When I use my calories for sugary snacks I am very laggy, when I use my calories for whole foods, I go go go. So thank you OP for this new piece of the puzzle. I always knew what makes me feel better but now I know why and that will help me make better decisions in the future.

fteale

tigersword, thanks for breaking down these studies so I can understand them and get a jist of what the summaries are saying. I can appreciate that you (and a lot of others) don't see anything in the research that shows a LCHF or Paleo type diets have anything to recommend them beyond personal preference because of the studies you listed.

But when the very studies that were linked to to disprove that these diets have any advantage have statements saying the diets are shown to be more effective and further research needs to be done to understand why. Then you add to that the seventeen studies I listed earlier AND my own personal experience these last few weeks on a lower carb diet I just can't reconcile what you're saying the science proves with the growing success people seem to be having with these diets.

I absolutely believe calories in/calories out on any diet works but I really can't understand the unwillingness to entertain the idea that there's something more driving the obesity epidemic other than laziy people eating too much. Hopefully time and more well conducted studies will tell.

Some people still claim that weight loss studies do not show any advantage for low carb diets. Unbelievably enough, that is what many so called experts still believe.

It’s either ignorance or science denial.

There are at least seventeen modern scientific studies of the highest quality (RCT) that show significantly better weight loss with low carb diets:

http://www.dietdoctor.com/science

Why focus on weight loss instead of fat loss? Low carb diets initially have greater weight loss due to water/glycogen losses, but fat loss is not significantly different between the two. There's only like 2 or 3 tightly controlled studies that I know of off hand that show a metabolic advantage to low carb diets, the vast majority do not. Then if you were to look at all the ad lib studies and you still only have about 50% that show greater fat loss with low carb

Listen to ACG. He's looking better than ever.

mmapags

tigersword, thanks for breaking down these studies so I can understand them and get a jist of what the summaries are saying. I can appreciate that you (and a lot of others) don't see anything in the research that shows a LCHF or Paleo type diets have anything to recommend them beyond personal preference because of the studies you listed.

But when the very studies that were linked to to disprove that these diets have any advantage have statements saying the diets are shown to be more effective and further research needs to be done to understand why. Then you add to that the seventeen studies I listed earlier AND my own personal experience these last few weeks on a lower carb diet I just can't reconcile what you're saying the science proves with the growing success people seem to be having with these diets.

I absolutely believe calories in/calories out on any diet works but I really can't understand the unwillingness to entertain the idea that there's something more driving the obesity epidemic other than laziy people eating too much. Hopefully time and more well conducted studies will tell.

Some people still claim that weight loss studies do not show any advantage for low carb diets. Unbelievably enough, that is what many so called experts still believe.

It’s either ignorance or science denial.

There are at least seventeen modern scientific studies of the highest quality (RCT) that show significantly better weight loss with low carb diets:

http://www.dietdoctor.com/science

Why focus on weight loss instead of fat loss? Low carb diets initially have greater weight loss due to water/glycogen losses, but fat loss is not significantly different between the two. There's only like 2 or 3 tightly controlled studies that I know of off hand that show a metabolic advantage to low carb diets, the vast majority do not. Then if you were to look at all the ad lib studies and you still only have about 50% that show greater fat loss with low carb

Listen to ACG. He's looking better than ever.

And he knows from whence he speaks!