WHATS DRIVING THE OBESITY AND DIABETES EPIDEMIC?
IS INSULIN MAKING YOUR BELLY FAT?
DO YOU HAVE METABOLIC SYNDROME?
As someone interested in nutrition and health, I often look at national and worldwide statistics for things like obesity and diabetes.
It really doesn’t make for hopeful reading.
You got to wonder why in this era, with our detailed knowledge on nutrition, biochemistry and so on, why all these statistics appear to be getting worse.
On top of this, for the first time in history, society's health management and food consumption patterns are such that our children will have a lower life expectancy than we do.
Yes...you read that right.
On average, our kids will die younger than us. You may have remembered my blog Was Everything Better in the 70s – well of course it wasn’t, but there were a few key areas that meant we were more active and there were fewer ultra-processed foods (UPPs), fast foods etc available back then.
I’ve unpacked reasons for the obesity epidemic here.
More recently I’ve been more convinced the whole process is occurring due to the addictive nature of refined carbs, sugars and UPPs combined with free availability, poor health education and Government advice, and advertising.
We don’t know how to eat properly.
We can’t eat properly because we’re addicted.
Social norms and standard advice is questionable.
There’s an argument people can’t afford to eat healthily but I don’t believe this. This article describes well how you can eat on a budget. You just need the knowledge on how to source and cook proper foods.
Yes, you do need to learn to cook from scratch and yes it’s a good idea to ditch the soft drinks, crisps, confectionary and all the other UPPs which can drive the obesity epidemic.
IS INSULIN MAKING YOUR BELLY FAT?
Insulin resistance is associated with a higher waist circumference.
We can only gain fat is we over consume calories. Consuming excess calories is easier with energy dense foods, lower in fibre and protein.
Fibre and protein tend to make us feel full. So, the need to overeat should be less, hunger hormone disruption aside.
Whilst insulin itself isn’t making you fat it is the hormone of storage so high insulin levels with excess calories will enable your body to store fat but also store glycogen in the muscles.
If your muscles are empty of glycogen from moving and exercising you can then fill them back up. If they are already full and if the liver is already full of glycogen, then there’s less sugar reserve and less of a buffer for excess calories.
So really to lose fat there’s a hierarchy of importance.
Critical is the energy deficit it’s law 1-0-1. Then can you maintain it. Adherence vs addiction.
Next down are ways which make it easier these are eating foods which fill you up. Fibre and protein which dictate your macro nutrient selection.
Exercise is next, as exercise burns calories. Which can make you hungrier but for many people it makes them want to pay more attention to eating properly. Exercise forgives many Evils. Plus, it’s one of the single best predictors of mortality and longevity.
Next are things like inflammation, which can mess up hunger hormones. Other supplements and tricks which can help you along the way a bit.
Read my Quick Start Fat Loss Guide for more information and a ‘secret’ macronutrient ration which guarantees results. HINT: you’ll feel like you are eating more than ever and yet you will lose fat.
Sugar toxic?
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17Sugar-t.html
Food and sugar addiction
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6234835/
Reward circuitry and food addiction
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28011401/
Red bull addiction
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8308486/
