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I just finished reading "Why We Get Fat" [1] and was really surprised by it. The research seems quite plausible to me, but the recommendations in terms of not g
by henrik_w 11y ago
I just finished reading "Why We Get Fat" [1] and was really surprised by it. The research seems quite plausible to me, but the recommendations in terms of not getting fat are not what I have heard as the common advice.
The advice in short is: avoid all carbohydrates as much as possible, and eat protein and fat.
[1] http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259/ http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259/
- maxerickson 11y agoThere are multiple fad diets that are popular in the US that boil down to 'low carb'. I often wonder if it isn't anything subtle, just that processed carbohydrates are incredibly energy dense. 100 grams of sugar or flour has twice the calories of 100 grams of beef (prepared bread still has more calories per gram than beef). 100 grams of greens or non starchy vegetables almost doesn't have calories.
- coldpie 11y agoI have a tricky time talking to people who subscribe to fad diets. I don't want to discourage people from caring about their health. The fact that they have gone from eating whatever to trying to control their diet is a positive step and I want to encourage them for doing that in the first place. But then there's garbage crap like paleo and "cleanses" that are ridiculous and can be actively harmful. So how do you tell someone their diet is stupid while not insulting them for caring about their diet? Mostly I settle for trying to give them well-written articles by scientists and nutritionists to read, but at the end of the day, I'm not their main source of information and good information gets drowned out in the hours spent on Pinterest. It gets even trickier with diets like gluten-free. The vast majority of people on gluten-free diets do not have any gluten allergy. But, as you said, cutting down carbs would vastly improve the health of most Americans. So, cutting out gluten also cuts down on carbs which leads to a healthy outcome, even though there is actually no reason for them to cut down on gluten itself. So their reason for cutting down on carbs is wrong, but the final effect is good. Is this misconception worth correcting? Can I tell them they don't actually have an allergy and it's OK to have a bagel or a beer if it fits their calorie requirements? Would that be defeating the ultimate goal of improving their health? In the end, mostly I just butt out. Let people do whatever they feel is best to their bodies and I'll continue to do so to mine: "eat food; not too much; mostly plants."
- Someone1234 11y agoYeah. You can often boil most successful fad diets down to: - Eat much less sugar. - Eat some less bread/rolls/cake (or other flour based products) It is almost impossible to over-eat on veggies, they are just too filling for their calorie content.
- mod 11y agoThat's my opinion. I use low carb diets because I go around at a calorie deficit but I feel full all the time. Protein and fats are very filling.
- noondip 11y agoFat has more than twice the calories of carbohydrates.
- Ded7xSEoPKYNsDd 11y agoBy what measure? I assume you refer to mass whereas gp talked about the effect on satiety.
- noondip 11y agoBy the measure of calories. > Carbohydrate provides 4 calories per gram, protein provides 4 calories per gram, and fat provides 9 calories per gram. http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/how-many-calories-are-one-gram-fat-carbohydrate-or-protein http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/how-many-calories-are-one-gram-fat-...
- Ded7xSEoPKYNsDd 11y agoSo that's calories per mass as I suspected. Now how much does 1g of carbs affect satiety in comparison to 1g of fat? (I'm not aware of any useful studies in that regard, but I'd be very interested.)
- noondip 11y agoThink of it this way - for the calorie price of a tablespoon of olive oil (all fat, nothing nutritious), you can have a huge, ~10 oz salad filled with veggies, fruit, whole grains and legumes. Have a look at PubMed for "low-fat vegan" clinical trials - people are put on plant-based diets with no calorie restriction and end up losing weight. Also, this recent video does a great job explaining energy density in foods: http://nutritionfacts.org/video/eating-more-to-weigh-less/ http://nutritionfacts.org/video/eating-more-to-weigh-less/
- lmm 11y agoI've heard very similar advice from a number of sources. Though I've also heard an argument that you should only avoid sugars as avoiding more complex carbohydrates will only slow your metabolic rate.
- citeguised 11y agoJust out of interest: - Does the book claim that you can't get fat when you don't eat carbs? - Is there a main reason for calories-in-calories-out being "damaging" as it says on the back?
- lazypenguin 11y agoHaven't read the book but an argument is that sugars (carbohydrates) = insulin response which results in 'damage' to the body. I am not a doctor, this is only an argument I have read put forth by others.
- wibr 11y agoGiven how little we know about digestion and the interaction between us and our gut flora I'd rather not limit the variety of my food based on the latest fad. From what I know, certain beneficial bacteria like to eat fibres and starches, a high protein diet can have negative effects on those.
- lsniddy 11y agoyou'd be hard pressed to find anyone who advocates for a high protein diet. And its the bad gut bacteria (or at least the ones found more in obese people) that thrive on sugars and starches.
- trowawee 11y agoPaleo, Atkins, Primal, Ketogenic
- kevin_thibedeau 11y agoAll fads whose promoters have a vested interest in selling merchandise rather than the truth.
- trowawee 11y agoI mean...so is every diet. That's sorta the point of the 538 article, no? Diet science is trash. I was just pointing out that you would not at all "be hard pressed to find anyone who advocates for a high protein diet". And honestly, I could have just said "anyone strong, ever" and been done with it. You can dismiss the diets I named as fads, but I have never met anyone with any appreciable muscle who doesn't have protein intake a few standard deviations above the norm. There's all kinds of disagreement about how to get that protein - there are vegan bodybuilders, strongman competitors who eat five pounds of chicken a day, the GOMAD folks chugging their milk - but there's no substantial disagreement that you need protein, and lots of it.
- 11y ago
- teslabox 11y agoI try to avoid eating biodiesel. If an oil requires the petroleum distillate hexane for its production, I figure it's not appropriate for human consumption.
- ramblerman 11y agoProbably good advice for people that don't move much. But I wouldn't generalise it to everyone. as someone who spends far too much time on his 'physique'... I have gotten extremely lean on a high carb and protein diet. Ultimately the key factor above and beyond everything else is calories in. If you are in a caloric deficit you will lose weight.
- citeguised 11y ago_Unless_ you are a perpetual motion machine!
- 3pt14159 11y agoI can't take advice seriously if it is to "avoid all carbohydrates" since one of the healthiest things you can do for your heart, intestines, and waistline is to increase your dietary fibre intake. Protein is certainly important too, and fat isn't as scary as it was made out to be in the 90s, but carbs are fine in smaller doses, and especially in the presence of water soluble fibre (to lower the GL). If you want to be skinny eat cottage cheese with carrots and hummus.
- noondip 11y agoFibre is carbohydrate. Protein isn't that important - WHO recommends just 10% of calories be protein. Fat isn't as scary? I assume you meat saturated and trans fat found in almost all processed and animal foods - avoid them at all costs for optimal health.
- norea-armozel 11y agoActually, saturated fats aren't all that bad at least from what I've read as long as you don't go overboard with them. You can't survive w/o them as they make up quite a bit of your brain, skin, muscle, and the like. What I think is the problem with the US/EU diet situation is the fact we just over eat. Fast/Junk food being easily accessible and made to be savory just makes it easier to over eat. I know for me at least that's the case. The worse part is when going back to eating whatever I can cook (even chili or some other semi-spicy dish) it just doesn't feel as satisfying as just munching on a Chipotle burrito. So, I think there's some psychology (picking up food feels more fun than having to prep and cook it yourself) and probably other tricks (flavor combinations?) at work here.
- noondip 11y agoYou can't survive without saturated fat? I'm going to ask for you to provide a citation for that. I eat ~0g saturated and trans fat and have never been more healthy.
- norea-armozel 11y ago
- dahart 11y agoThe Atkins diet, as it's frequently called, does often work. But, it's really unhealthy. You shouldn't do this forever, only in limited bursts. Humans have a physiological aversion to the very idea of eating less, evolution baked it into our bones. Because of this, there's a lot of money in books, articles, and videos that offer weight loss alternatives that don't involve consuming fewer calories. But, what makes us fat is eating more calories than we use. You can get fat on a high carb diet. You can also get fat on an all protein diet, though not as easily.
- noondip 11y agoExactly this - except, you shouldn't do it ever - see http://www.atkinsfacts.org/ http://www.atkinsfacts.org/
- oldmanjay 11y agoI'm trying to be charitable here, but I want to let you know that linking to sites that are basically giant collections of logical fallacies doesn't really make it seem like you have a strong argument. It may be interesting to note I have no stake in the low-carb game, in case you think you need to attack me on that front in response.
- noondip 11y agoPlease explain how they are logical fallacies. Most of the site's content is literal quotes from leading medical and science professionals. No stake in the low-carb game? You are kidding, right? Atkins is a for-profit, multi-million dollar corporation, akin to anyone else promoting a diet based on excessive animal product consumption.
- Ded7xSEoPKYNsDd 11y agoThe site is a giant appeal to authority. On the 'Atkins Facts' page I didn't manage to find a single fact about why Atkins is bad, only a bunch of quotes saying that it is.
- noondip 11y agoJust stop. You are giving dangerously wrong advice. Avoid all carbohydrates? So you mean, don't eat any fruit or vegetables, instead eat excessive protein and fat which are known to cause cancer, diabetes and heart disease? No, thanks!
- Grishnakh 11y agoGo ask the Innuit about "excessive protein and fat". That's all they've had in their diet for eons: vegetables don't grow on tundra. The simple fact is: people are not the same, and have significant genetic differences. What may work great for an Innuit may not work too well for you, and vice-versa.
- noondip 11y agoInnuit are incredibly unhealthy, and serve as a poor example when discussing optimal human nutrition. While it's true vegetables don't grow everywhere, for the vast majority of HN readers and beyond, there is no problem shopping for fresh produce.
- shinigami 11y agoDid you read the article? These are not "known" to cause these illnesses.
- justncase80 11y agoBillions of thin asians primarily subsist on rice, which is a major source of carbohydrates. Does it explain that apparent contradiction?