The cardinal rule of being fit and healthy is that we must eat less and exercise more – alas if only it were that simple, we would all be lean, mean fighting machines. The fact however is that two thirds of Americans are overweight and most are struggling to lose weight – in vain. There are a lot of other factors that determine our weight.
In his book, Gary Taubes examines the fact that it isn’t just how much, but what we eat that determines the way our metabolism works.
Further it is suggested that too many carbs in our diet influence the way we secrete insulin and our sensitivity to it; and this could be one of the main causes for production of fat and its storage.
Then there is the way in which sleep impacts weight – it is well known that not getting enough and quality rest, promotes weight gain due to the way in which the production of hormones – leptin and ghrelin – is impacted.
So rather than criticizing others or even ourselves for being ‘weak’ or ‘lazy’ it is important to examine if they are oversensitive to effects of the modern diet which may simply predispose them to obesity.
The genetic component of one’s weight is something else that is a huge determinant of what we weigh.
So when considering how best to battle the bulge, all these factors must be considered.
