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

by Jason Fung

Assumption 4: Fat stores are essentially unregulated Every single system in the body is regulated. Growth in height is regulated by growth hormone. Blood sugars are regulated by the hormones insulin and glucagon, among others. Sexual maturation is regulated by testosterone and estrogen. Body temperature is regulated by a thyroid-stimulating hormone and free thyroxine. The list is endless. We are asked to believe, however, that growth of fat cells is essentially unregulated. The simple act of eating, without any interference from any hormones, will result in fat growth. Extra calories are dumped into fat cells like doorknobs into a sack. This assumption has already been proven false. New hormonal pathways in the regulation of fat growth are being discovered all the time. Leptin is the best-known hormone regulating fat growth, but adiponectin, hormone-sensitive lipase, lipoprotein lipase and adipose triglyceride lipase may all play important roles.