The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat

by Tim Spector

The diets were designed to keep weight constant, but the trans-fat group gained weight and scored three times the harmful visceral (belly) fat and much worse insulin profiles (meaning that glucose in the blood is not disposed of quickly) compared to the other group.1 This suggests that all calories are not the same. Two thousand fast-food calories will have very different energy consequences from 2,000 calories made up of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. For too long we have taken the accuracy of our food labels for granted, but the formulas behind them are over a hundred years old. They depend on burning the foods and applying calculations to account for different rates of digestion and absorption. The formulas disregard the effects of how old food is and also the different effects of cooking, which can dictate how much is absorbed as well as the speed glucose can rise in the blood. Also, people with longer large intestines can extract more calories from food than those with short ones, and some studies have shown differences of up to