The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss (Why Intermittent Fasting Is the Key to Controlling Your Weight)

by Jason Fung

This hormonal theory of obesity avoids making these false assumptions. Consider the following: Assumption 1: Calories In and Calories Out are independent of each other. The hormonal theory explains why Calories In and Calories Out are tightly synchronized with each other. Assumption 2: Basal metabolic rate is stable. The hormonal theory explains how hormonal signals adjust basal metabolic rate to either gain or lose weight. Assumption 3: We exert conscious control over Calories In. The hormonal theory explains that hunger and satiety hormones play a key role in determining whether we eat. Assumption 4: Fat stores are essentially unregulated. The hormonal theory explains that fat stores, like all body systems, are tightly regulated and respond to changes in food intake and activity levels. Assumption 5: A calorie is a calorie. The hormonal theory explains why different calories cause different metabolic responses. Sometimes calories are used to heat the body. At other times, they will be deposited as fat.