The main cause of obesity is not to overeat, but the consumption of food with a high glycemic index. Such conclusions came to the international group of researchers, whose article was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Currently, most slimming strategies are based on the energy balance model, which calls the main reason for excess weight the situation when a person consumes energy more than spending. However, statistics show that the number of people with obesity and overweight-related diseases are constantly growing.
Researchers from Harvard, Cornell and California University together with colleagues put forward a new explanation based on a carbohydrate-insulin model, which, in their opinion, better explains obesity and its biological reasons. According to it, the main cause of obesity is excessive food intake with a high glycemic index, in particular, products with a high degree of processing, fast carbohydrates.
Hormonal responses caused by consumption are launching a large-scale perestroika of human metabolism, which leads to the accumulation of fat and increase weight. When consuating products with a high degree of processing, the body strengthens the secretion of insulin and suppresses the secretion of glucagon. This gives a signal to fat cells to accumulate calories, which leads to their lack of muscles and other metabolically active tissues. The brain receives information about him, which causes a feeling of hunger. In addition, in attempts to save fuel slows down metabolism.
Based on the models developed by them, the researchers put forward a number of hypotheses, whose check will allow to confirm the effectiveness of the model.