Calorie restriction = Metabolic reduction

“How does reducing calorie intake not work?!”

(A thought)

I claimed that controlling a kid’s portions wasn’t an effective solution to childhood obesity, and I was patronisingly asked this question. Aside from the obvious hilarity of that simple-minded belief, I know most awake readers know the answer… because it reduces your metabolic rate and makes you offing hungry, right! Let’s take this one step at a time as if I’m explaining this to a child who didn’t make the honor roll.

Monitoring your intake
without sensitivity or
objective feedback,
could be a risky sacrifice! 

It’s really quite simple why calorie manipulation cannot, is not, has not been, never has been shown to be, nor ever will be a reasonable, permanent solution to a serious weight problem–especially in kids. It’s because of the response that the involuntary mechanisms of the body that factor into weight control and body composition have.

Calorie intake goes down, body fat levels decrease, metabolic rate decreases in proportion to the fat lost, as does desire for physical activity and the calorie-burners NEPA (fidgeting) and NEAT (calorie burn from light movement). Meanwhile, appetite increases, cortisol increases (favoring fat storage over lean mass preservation aka atrophy), pituitary activity increases, binge-proneness increases, cravings increase etc..

All of these involuntary mechanisms are sending strong biological signals to our bodies that ensure eventual weight regain, often exceeding and surpassing prior body fat levels before the period of conscious calorie reduction began. What percentage of people regain their lost weight depends on how long you study them for. 6 months? It works! A lot of people keep that weight off! A year. Eesh, not so good. 2 years, uh oh. 5 years: oh crap you're fat again.

Even those who do manage to starve a significant amount of weight off and keep it off for several years–many of those registered with the National Weight Control Registry, are found to be eating an abnormally low number of calories for their age, height, weight, gender, and physical activity levels. Guarantee you that there are an abnormal amount of socks, mittens, lotion, psyllium husk, caffeine, and pharmaceutical drugs at the households of these people. And no damn flapjack or white rice anywhere. No way I’m going over there to find out, if there are no sugary flapjacks involved.

In all seriousness, it’s not just appalling that people still really think that watching portion size and counting calories is a reasonable solution to obesity, particularly in children. It’s surprising! But then again, I’m almost always shocked at what virtually everyone I encounter believes about just about

When digestible, whole,
metabolically enhancing
foods are around…
smash them in!

everything (did that make sense?). This curious mind of mine is painful at times. I have to think about everything instead of jump to a conclusion and get busy defending it no matter what contradictory evidence or viewpoints I encounter.

In the end, saying that a 'conscious restriction of food intake' or 'increase of physical activity levels' to create an intentional, voluntary calorie deficit is effective for weight loss, is about as strong as an argument for restricting sexual intercourse as a birth control method. Technically, and sure, even scientifically, it’s impossible for stopping having sex not to work as a birth control method. But you know, the thing is, it doesn’t work. Why? Because of the physiological and psychological reaction to sexual desire.

It’s the same with the tiring sermon about eating less and exercising more. It works 100% of the time. The only problem is, it fails nearly 100% of the time. Those who do succeed long-term and preach the gospel of it are extreme outliers. It’s not a real solution to anything. It’s just blah, blah, blah from bullheaded internet trolls with serious personality disorders.

If a solid solution to obesity is ever confidently identified and confirmed and found to have minimal side effects, it will be effective because, and only because, it works by altering the involuntary mechanisms that affect metabolism, appetite, fat storage, and body composition. I think progress has been made in this arena here and a handful of places like it, but there are a lot more questions than answers remaining. Anyone who is sure of the answer and takes on an arrogant tone you can be sure is full of shit–especially if they constantly tell you how “scientific” they are in between expletives.


Be wise.

Beatle

(180degreehealth.com)
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100705106622291718837/posts