Is Obesity all About Overeating?

This theory explains the limitations of the energy balance model by taking into account how quickly foods affect blood sugar levels. Sugary foods and other processed carbohydrates release their energy into your bloodstream very fast, causing a rapid rise in blood glucose. These foods are known as high glycaemic load foods. This rush of sugar causes changes in circulating hormones in your blood. Insulin rises while glucagon falls, creating metabolic changes. These encourage fat to be Iaid down and inhibit the release of your body’s stored energy.

In turn you’ll feel hungrier, meaning more calories in. Plus, to obtain a quick burst of energy, your brain will typically crave the very fast-release carbohydrate foods that created the problem in the first place.

It’s almost like never spending what’s in your bank account but constantly asking your employer for more money.

Carbohydrates have been making up an increasing part of modern diets in the last few decades, partly because fats have received bad press due to a mistaken belief they cause weight gain.

Avoiding processed carbohydrates and decreasing the overall level of starchy foods in your diet does seem to be more effective for weight loss than calorie restriction in many people. This is because eating fewer carbs alters the biological mechanisms driving excess fat storage.

Remember, too, not all calories in food behave equally. A diet high in whole foods containing their natural fibre will take longer to release energy into your bloodstream and so help your body become more insulin sensitive. On the other hand, various components of food have differing thermic effects on your body. This refers to what extent food increases your metabolic rate – and so influences calories burned – after it’s eaten.