 | A lack of self-control or a few too many dietary indulgences are often cited as reasons for regaining weight. But a new study in the November issue of BMJ questions this conventional view, finding that the type of calories you consume may influence how likely you are to keep that weight off for the long term. The human body is designed to protect itself when it sheds weight, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, by increasing the urge to eat while slowing down the metabolism and more efficiently storing fat. Although it may be exciting to see the numbers on the scale drop, this makes it harder to keep losing weight or even maintain weight loss. The purpose of the BMJ study was to see if different levels of carbohydrates in the diet could prevent these metabolic changes from occurring, so that weight lost might stay off. The focus on carbohydrates was based on the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity, which holds that high insulin levels that result from eating a high glycemic load diet (i.e., highly processed carbohydrates like refined breads, crackers, cookies, and sugars) cause energy from the food to be stored more easily as fat, and may increase hunger and food cravings, lower energy expenditure, and promote weight gain.  |
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