Why Are You Fat?

According to the CDC, about 36% of U.S. adults are obese and as of 2010, about 23% of the people in Massachusetts are considered obese. Their definition of obesity is based on the Body Mass Index (BMI), though they acknowledge that is not a fully accurate way of assessing individuals, such as athletes. These obesity figures do not include those people who are only overweight, though that would raise the percentage significantly of those Americans who weigh too much.

Each year, these figures continue to increase but why is that so? Why are so many putting on extra pounds? We think we understand the reasons but is that really the case? Could we be looking at all of this in the wrong way? That might very well be the case.

Scientific American recently published a special Food Issue (September 2013), which contains nine fascinating articles about food related issues, from How (and Why) To Eat Invasive Species by Chef Bun Lai to The First Cookout, an interview with Richard Wrangham. Two of the articles dealt with issues of weight gain, offering interesting takes on what is often considered "common knowledge." We need to start looking at some of our treasured beliefs, to reassess what we think, and hopefully find a better path to weight loss.

The first thing we need to do is to reconsider the calorie, understanding that the calorie counts on food labels are not accurate indicators of the amount of calories an individual will receive. Rob Dunn, a biologist at North Carolina State University, penned an article, Everything You Know About Calories Is Wrong, explaining the problems of calorie counts. Calorie determination is based on a 19th century system that uses averages, ignoring numerous important factors such as the effects of digestion and cooking.

Dunn states: "To accurately calculate the total calories that someone gets out of a given food, you would have to take into account a dizzying array of factors, including whether that food has evolved to survive digestion; how boiling, baking, microwaving or flambeing a food changes its structure and chemistry; how much energy the body expends to break down different kinds of food; and the extent to which the billions of bacteria in the gut aid human digestion and, conversely, steal some calories for themselves." (p.58) What that means is that two individuals, eating the same amount of calories, will not incur the same amount of calories, so that one person might lose weight while the other might not.

For example, cooking food allows a person to obtain more of the calories in that food than you would if the food was raw. So if two people consumed 2000 calories of food, and one person cooked all his food while the other ate all his raw, the person with the raw food would actually take in less calories. The type of food matters as well. For example, nuts generally are less completely digested than some other foods, meaning you get less calories from them. In addition, each individual is different in their biological make-up, meaning they will take in more or less calories than another person.

What that all means is that a diet that merely counts calories is overly simplistic and potentially doomed to failure. It would explain the frustration some dieters have when seeing others lose weight, on similar amounts of calories, which they can't seem to lose. People need more education about calories, to understand that label calorie counts are probably closer to suggestions than actual facts. At best, those calorie counts might stand as a potential maximum amount that can be derived.

All this discussion of calories though is based on the theory that weight gain is due to an imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. In short, if you eat too much, ingest too many calories, or are too sedentary, exercising little, then you will gain weight. Most people accept this as a given, yet it hasn't prevented more and more people each year gaining excess weight nor has it prevented an increase in metabolic disorders like Type 2 Diabetes. Why is that so if we know exactly what causes weight gain?

Gary Taubes, co-founder of the Nutrition Science Initiative, in his article Which One Will Make You Fat?, poses an alternative theory of weight gain. He notes that the calorie theory actually never was based on proper scientific studies, being accepted more as a given. It sounds like a logical theory but even those should receive empirical proof of their validity. Gary offers another potential theory, which he believes deserves to be investigated, and which a few scientists have now started to address in new studies.

Rather than being due to an energy imbalance, weight gain could be instead due to a hormonal defect, with the primary offender being carbohydrates. The science is interesting. The carbohydrate glucose causes the pancreas to secrete insulin, to prevent glucose levels from being too high. The insulin causes some of that glucose to be stored as fat for some future use, which means that if insulin levels remain high, then you gain more and more fat. By avoiding or limiting carbohydrates, you prevent this fat storage from occurring, and that might be the best way to avoid gaining weight. So worrying about calorie intake might not be as important, as where those calories come from.

More scientific studies are needed to resolve this conundrum, but just the fact that we are questioning "common knowledge," which never actually was proven, is a major step forward. If you are having trouble losing weight, and you believe you are doing everything right, then it is time to reconsider the basis of your beliefs.

Diets & Diabetes: What Is A Food Blogger To Do?

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you have seen me detail some rather decadent and fattening meals. I have dined out at hundreds of restaurants, sampled goodies from numerous bakeries, and savored treats from many other places as well. I am not alone, and many other food bloggers are in a similar situation. We have many opportunities to eat, and often avail ourselves, with the intention of providing our readers some worthy writing. I don't regret any of it.

But, I recently received a wake-up call, that there can be a price to pay for all of this drinking and dining. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, the most common form of diabetes and a disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Sure, that was a scary diagnosis but my blood sugar level was rather borderline and it seemed possible to control it without the need for drugs, just through diet and lifestyle changes. Armed with a blood sugar detector, I was sent home to see if I could make the necessary changes to my life.

I read up on diabetes, consulting resources like the Joslin Diabetes Center, as I wanted to be as informed as possible so that I could best defeat my problem. I pondered a number of questions. How does a food blogger diet, yet still enjoy the food they eat? Some bloggers take the route of detailing their diets, posting about the recipes they use, but I did not want to go that route. How do you diet during the holiday season, as my diet started on December 13? Some would think I was crazy to start at that time, but it was necessary to deal with my diabetic condition. Which specific diet, out of the hundreds out there, should I follow? Or should I not follow any specific one?

It is now exactly one month after I started my diet. I am proud to report that I have lost 15 pounds and my blood sugar levels now appear to be within normal levels. That does not mean there is no longer a need to continue my good work. I should continue to lose additional weight and keep an eye on my blood sugar levels. But, it is a very good start and indicative that I can do it if I so choose.

How did I do it? The key was discipline, using my willpower to control what I ate. I don't care what diet you choose to follow, if you lack the willpower to follow it, then you will fail. I did not follow any specific diet, rather instead just following some good, general nutritional advice. I cut portions sizes and greatly reduced my usual after-dinner snacking. I also tried to reduce my overall intake of carbohydrates, to help reduce my blood sugar. When I dined out though, I did not generally restrict myself. I didn't want to turn dining out in a chore, I wanted it to remain something special. And finally, I exercised more, primarily doing more walking. All of this was sufficient to lose 15 pounds so I must have been doing something right.

This is not going to turn into a diet/health/nutrition blog and I may only mention this issue a few more times during 2012. It is a personal issue but I hope that it gives some inspiration to anyone else in the same position. It is not easy and requires discipline to accomplish your goals, but it is within your grasp if you truly want it. Kudos and good luck to all of my readers currently dieting or facing some type of medical condition which affects what they can eat.  

Dietary Advice Needed

I am now requesting some assistance from my readers, seeking your advice on an important matter.  A close family member is currently undergoing a very restrictive diet and I am seeking some suggestions and recommendations that will help him deal with this diet.

He may not eat any food products that contain the following: wheat, dairy, corn, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, shellfish and beef. Yes, that is quite a list!  That would be a hard list to follow for any person.  

So, I am hoping some of my readers could offer some suggestions.  Where are the best places to shop for food products meeting those restrictions?  I would prefer locations that are within a range of 15-20 miles north of Boston.  Can you recommend specific products or brands?  Today, I visited the Natural Food Exchange in Reading, and did find some foods, but am unfamiliar with the brands so don't know which tastes the best.

Do you have any suggested recipes? Are there any websites which would be good to check out? Any help you can give would be much appreciated.