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Most of the ideas on how to lose weight are wrong. Obesity and weight gain are driven by hormones in humans. It is through the understanding of the effects of insulin and insulin resistance that we can truly achieve lasting weight loss. In this highly readable guide, Dr. Fung rolls out a robust theory of obesity that explores startling insights into nutrition. He offers five basic steps of lifelong habits that will control your insulin levels and improve your health. Dr. Jason Fung explains how intermittent fasting can be used to disrupt the cycle of insulin resistance and reach a healthy weight for good.
Dr. Jason Fung is a doctor, author and researcher who specializes in ground-breaking science-based books about diabetes and obesity.
“Obesity is not caused by an excess of calories, but instead by a body set weight that is too high because of a hormonal imbalance in the body.” ~ Dr. Jason Fung
Key points
1
Obesity is no longer just for adults; it's a pandemic that's affecting children too
In the years 1977 to 2000, the prevalence of childhood obesity skyrocketed in every age category. Obesity in children aged 6 to 11 increased from 7% to 15.3%. For children aged 12 to 19, it more than tripled — from 5% to 15.5%. Obesity-related diseases like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, previously rare in children, are becoming more common. Obesity has metastasized from being solely an adult concern to being a pediatric one, too.
Obesity is caused by both biological and environmental factors.
Childhood obesity leads to adult obesity and many future health problems, particularly cardiovascular issues. Childhood obesity is a predictor of increased mortality, but, most importantly, also a reversible risk factor. Overweight children who became normal weight as adults have the same mortality risk as those who have never been overweight.
Obesity is an energy-balance problem, one of either eating too much or exercising too little. Since six-month-olds eat only on demand and are often breastfed, it is impossible to say they eat too much.
Since six-month-olds do not walk, we can’t also say they exercise too little. Similarly, birth weight has also increased by as much as half a pound (200 grams) over the last twenty-five years. Newborns cannot eat too much or exercise too little.
What is going on here? It’s insulin. The answer is simpler once we understand the hormonal obesity theory. This tidbit examines the causes of obesity as well as the dangers attached to it. In the subsequent chapters, you’ll learn more on how to lose weight effectively.
Did you know? The fruits and vegetables you see in the supermarket have been shipped anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 miles on average to get there. When food travels, it begins a long, slow death. This slow death depletes the nutrients of the food we eat, so our bodies are never really being nourished with what we need for optimum health.
Obesity is an energy-balance problem, one of either eating too much or exercising too little. Since six-month-olds eat only on demand and are often breastfed, it is impossible to say they eat too much.
Since six-month-olds do not walk, we can’t also say they exercise too little. Similarly, birth weight has also increased by as much as half a pound (200 grams) over the last twenty-five years. Newborns cannot eat too much or exercise too little.
What is going on here? It’s insulin. The answer is simpler once we understand the hormonal obesity theory. This tidbit examines the causes of obesity as well as the dangers attached to it. In the subsequent chapters, you’ll learn more on how to lose weight effectively.
Did you know? The fruits and vegetables you see in the supermarket have been shipped anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 miles on average to get there. When food travels, it begins a long, slow death. This slow death depletes the nutrients of the food we eat, so our bodies are never really being nourished with what we need for optimum health.
2
Insulin is the main hormonal driver of weight gain in children
Where can an infant get high insulin levels? From his or her mother. Dr. David Ludwig, an American physician from Boston recently examined the relationship between the weights of 513,501 women and their 1,164,750 offspring. Increased maternal weight gain is positively correlated with increased neonatal weight gain. Because the mother and the fetus share the same blood supply, all hormonal imbalances, such as high insulin levels, are automatically and directly transmitted through the placenta from the mother to the growing fetus.
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3
Why we need a new framework for the understanding and treatment of obesity
4
Our understanding of obesity is heavily flawed because we mostly focus on the wrong causes
5
The calorie-reduction error is an important topic that everyone must be familiar with
6
Insulin can make you fat if you fail to control what you eat
7
With careful monitoring and evaluation of your diet, you can live healthy
8
