Why You Can't Lose Weight

Change Your Metabolism with Food to Slim Down Without Being Hungry

Jul 31, 2009

If following the usual recommendations about diet and exercise isn't working for you, read on to find out how you really can lose weight without starving yourself.

The World Health Organization projects that by 2015 approximately 2.3 billion adults worldwide will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese. Rising rates of unhealthy weight are seen globally, but the U.S. leads other nations with more than 30% of adults being obese in 2005. These statistics are alarming because overweight and obesity are associated with increased risks for a host of diseases such as Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, some cancers, and osteoarthritis.

The epidemic of overweight and obesity have been attributed to a number of factors: fast food, eating too much food, a sedentary lifestyle where TV and computer games have replaced exercise and outdoor play. But is it really that simple? Are so many people too heavy because they are weak and lazy? Or is the situation more complicated?

What Makes People Gain Weight

There is no consensus among medical experts about the underlying physiological cause of obesity. However, there is strong evidence that something called insulin resistance is a contributor. Insulin is one hormone produced by the pancreas to maintain appropriate concentrations of blood glucose, also known as “blood sugar.” If blood sugar goes too high, the pancreas rapidly releases insulin into the bloodstream to bring it down to acceptable levels.

Insulin works several ways. First, it increases the rate of uptake of glucose by body cells, particularly muscle cells, for use as fuel. Second, it converts a limited amount of glucose to starch for storage, mainly in the liver. Finally, it converts any excess glucose into triglyceride for storage in fat cells. When a person develops insulin resistance, their body’s ability to maintain ideal blood glucose levels is impaired. The result is that blood sugar rises and more glucose is converted into fat for storage.

Insulin resistance is common in overweight people. According to Bernstein (2003), 100% of those with Type II diabetes (an extreme form of insulin resistance) are overweight. While more conservative estimates put the numbers lower (85-95%), there is a definite correlation. Some experts believe that overweight causes insulin resistance. However, Straczkowski et al. (2003) reported evidence that insulin resistance actually precedes, and is the ultimate cause of, weight gain.

How Your Low-Fat Diet is Making You Fat

Dietary fat has been unjustly demonized for years as the cause of obesity and cardiovascular disease. As such, medical professionals have recommended that people reduce the amount of fat that they eat. Because most sources of fat are also sources of protein, the majority of calories a person obtains on a low-fat diet will be derived from carbohydrates such as sugar and starch.

Glucose is the major building block of carbohydrates. Remember that one of the jobs of insulin is to convert glucose to fat for storage. So even if you don’t eat fat, your body will make it from the carbohydrates that you consume. Whether eating rice or cake, blood sugar will rise and insulin will be released from the pancreas.

The triglyceride molecule is an ester of glycerol (an alcohol) and 3 fatty acid chains. Lipolysis is the process by which these components are broken apart and released from fat cells. Free fatty acids circulating in the bloodstream can be used as fuel. Zhang et al (2005) demonstrated that high levels of insulin in the bloodstream can block the hormones that trigger lipolysis. In simple terms, eating carbohydrates interferes with the body’s ability to burn fat.

How to Lose Weight without Being Hungry

People are encouraged to exercise to lose weight, for several reasons. Physical activity is known to decrease the resistance to insulin that leads to overweight. Exercising also consumes calories. However, because of the effects of insulin in blocking lipolysis, exercise can simply make you hungry, so that you eat more.

Many people simply don’t have the energy to exercise. This may seem counterintuitive, given that weight gain results from storage of excess energy. If energy intake exceeds that needed by the body to fuel the level of physical activity, glucose will be used to make fat. Because of the rapid conversion and storage of glucose by insulin, people who eat a lot of dietary carbohydrate typically feel hungry and fatigued not long after eating.

Since elevated levels of insulin interfere with fat-burning and promote fatigue, the key to weight loss is simply to normalize concentrations of the hormone in the bloodstream. This can be done by limiting the amount of sugars and starches in the diet so as not to increase serum glucose levels, which in turn raise the concentrations of insulin.

Sources

M. Straczkowski, I. Kowalska, A. Stepien, S. Dzienis-Straczkowska, M. Szelachowska, I. Kinalska, A. , M. Konicka (2003) Insulin resistance in the first-degree relatives of persons with type 2 diabetes. Medical Science Monitor 9:5; CR186-90.

J. Zhang, C.J. Hupfeld, S.S. Taylor, J.M. Olefsky and R.Y. Tsien (2005) Insulin disrupts

beta-adrenergic signalling to protein kinase A in adipocytes. Nature 437, 569-573; doi:10.1038/nature04140

R.K. Bernstein (2003) The Diabetes Solution. Little, Brown and Company. 490 p.

P. Green, W. Willett, J. Devecis, and A. Skaf. (2003) Pilot 12-week feeding weight-loss comparison: Low-fat vs. low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets. Obesity Research 11:A23.

R.D. Feinman and E.J. Fine (2004) “A calorie is a calorie” violates the second law of thermodynamics. Nutrition Journal 3:9; doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-3-9.

Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. It does not replace the recommendations of the physician who cares for you. All medical advice and information should be considered as incomplete without a physical exam, which is not possible without a visit to your doctor.

The copyright of the article Why You Can't Lose Weight in Weight Loss Methods is owned by Adrienne Larocque. Permission to republish Why You Can't Lose Weight in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.