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The phenomenon of people quickly returning to their "normal weight" is explained perfectly by the Harris-Benedict equation. You can literally translate Harris-B

The phenomenon of people quickly returning to their "normal weight" is explained perfectly by the Harris-Benedict equation. You can literally translate Harris-Benedict (i.e. calories in/calories out) into a differential equation, solve it, and get these results. Other immediate results include rapid weight loss at the start of a diet but very slow weight loss at the end. https://www.chrisstucchio.com/blog/2011/weight_stability.html https://www.chrisstucchio.com/blog/2011/weight_stability.htm... Many of the "complicated" phenomena are simply people not doing the math and not understanding what the simple model actually predicts.

Houshalter 11y ago
That doesn't really fit with this part of my link: >Before the diet began, the fat subjects’ metabolism was normal — the number of calories burned per square meter of body surface was no different from that of people who had never been fat. But when they lost weight, they were burning as much as 24 percent fewer calories per square meter of their surface area than the calories consumed by those who were naturally thin. ... And even if it was as simple as Calories in Calories out, it doesn't explain why some people want to eat more food than others: >The Rockefeller subjects also had a psychiatric syndrome, called semi-starvation neurosis, which had been noticed before in people of normal weight who had been starved. They dreamed of food, they fantasized about food or about breaking their diet. They were anxious and depressed; some had thoughts of suicide. They secreted food in their rooms. And they binged. I'm also not disputing that rapid weight loss is possible. But then why don't most people that try radical diets experience it? Yet those who gained weight unnaturally seem to lose the weight effortlessly in months. >The implications were clear. There is a reason that fat people cannot stay thin after they diet and that thin people cannot stay fat when they force themselves to gain weight. The body’s metabolism speeds up or slows down to keep weight within a narrow range. Gain weight and the metabolism can as much as double; lose weight and it can slow to half its original speed.
- yummyfajitas 11y ago
  I said "Many complicated phenomenon", not all. Obviously Harris-Benedict - which is not a theory of the mind - will not explain why I'm obsessed with food while others don't care.
  - Houshalter 11y ago
    The point is it doesn't explain anything. Otherwise the fat people who had lost weight would have the same metabolisms as people naturally their weight.
    - yummyfajitas 11y ago
      Metabolism (like mental state) is exogenous to Harris-Benedict so claiming it fails to predict metabolism is entirely besides the point. Harris-Benedict does explain "prisoners that intentionally overeat quickly return to their original weight" and "As soon as they [people on restricted diets in lab conditions] were allowed to leave the hospital, they quickly returned to their normal weights." These are exactly predictions of Harris-Benedict (with metabolism held constant).
      - Houshalter 11y ago
        What is it predicting exactly? Just that weight loss should be rapid? But that doesn't seem to be generally true except in these special cases.

Houshalter 11y ago

That doesn't really fit with this part of my link: >Before the diet began, the fat subjects’ metabolism was normal — the number of calories burned per square meter of body surface was no different from that of people who had never been fat. But when they lost weight, they were burning as much as 24 percent fewer calories per square meter of their surface area than the calories consumed by those who were naturally thin. ... And even if it was as simple as Calories in Calories out, it doesn't explain why some people want to eat more food than others: >The Rockefeller subjects also had a psychiatric syndrome, called semi-starvation neurosis, which had been noticed before in people of normal weight who had been starved. They dreamed of food, they fantasized about food or about breaking their diet. They were anxious and depressed; some had thoughts of suicide. They secreted food in their rooms. And they binged. I'm also not disputing that rapid weight loss is possible. But then why don't most people that try radical diets experience it? Yet those who gained weight unnaturally seem to lose the weight effortlessly in months. >The implications were clear. There is a reason that fat people cannot stay thin after they diet and that thin people cannot stay fat when they force themselves to gain weight. The body’s metabolism speeds up or slows down to keep weight within a narrow range. Gain weight and the metabolism can as much as double; lose weight and it can slow to half its original speed.

yummyfajitas 11y ago
I said "Many complicated phenomenon", not all. Obviously Harris-Benedict - which is not a theory of the mind - will not explain why I'm obsessed with food while others don't care.
- Houshalter 11y ago
  The point is it doesn't explain anything. Otherwise the fat people who had lost weight would have the same metabolisms as people naturally their weight.
  - yummyfajitas 11y ago
    Metabolism (like mental state) is exogenous to Harris-Benedict so claiming it fails to predict metabolism is entirely besides the point. Harris-Benedict does explain "prisoners that intentionally overeat quickly return to their original weight" and "As soon as they [people on restricted diets in lab conditions] were allowed to leave the hospital, they quickly returned to their normal weights." These are exactly predictions of Harris-Benedict (with metabolism held constant).
    - Houshalter 11y ago
      What is it predicting exactly? Just that weight loss should be rapid? But that doesn't seem to be generally true except in these special cases.