Researchers at some of the top universities, such as Harvard, Weill Cornell Medicine and Duke University, have made a case that mainstream nutrition advice has misunderstood how people gain and lose weight based on calories alone, arguing that Hormones such as insulin also play an important role.
Experts say that high-carb diet is increasing obesity
The current idea of weight gain or loss is based on how much energy a person consumes in the form of calories from food. If a person eats more than what he burns during the day, he will gain weight. If they eat less than they burn, they will lose weight. The concept is called Calorie In, Calorie Out Theory (CICO).
The alternative weight loss approach, according to the researchers, is the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity, which suggests that hormone levels are responsible for how we store or burn body fat.
For example, a diet high in processed carbohydrates can cause an increase in blood sugar levels and prompt the body to release insulin. High levels of insulin over time can make the body less sensitive to the hormone, forcing it to release more to keep blood sugar stable. The theory states that high levels of insulin prompt the body to store more body fat even without more calories and disrupt hunger signals, creating a vicious cycle of metabolic disruption.
The carb-insulin model of obesity is not new and has been suggested repeatedly by proponents of low-carb and ketogenic diets.
Some experts say that processed foods also play a major factor.
Calories Still Play a Role in Weight Loss
Although insulin plays a role in fat storage, there are no studies that claim it matters more than calorie intake.
Evidence suggests that processed foods and refined carbohydrates contribute to obesity. Other factors such as caloric density, other macronutrients such as fat and protein and the proportion of carbs in the food environment play a role in weight loss.
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