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

by Jason Fung

LET’S CONSIDER A last analogy here. Suppose we manage a coal-fired power plant. Every day to generate energy, we receive and burn 2000 tons of coal. We also keep some coal stored in a shed, just in case we run low. Now, all of a sudden, we receive only 1500 tons of coal a day. Should we continue to burn 2000 tons of coal daily? We would quickly burn through our stores of coal, and then our power plant would be shut down. Massive blackouts develop over the entire city. Anarchy and looting commence. Our boss tells us how utterly stupid we are and yells, “Your ass is FIRED!” Unfortunately for us, he’s entirely right. In reality, we’d handle this situation another way. As soon as we realize that we’ve received only 1500 tons of coal, we’d immediately reduce our power generation to burn only 1500 tons. In fact, we might burn only 1400 tons, just in case there were further reductions in shipments. In the city, a few lights go dim, but there are no widespread blackouts. Anarchy and looting are avoided. Boss says, “Great job. You’re not as stupid as you look. Raises all around.” We maintain the lower output of 1500 tons as long as necessary. The key assumption of the theory that reducing caloric intake leads to weight loss is false, since decreased caloric intake inevitably leads to decreased caloric expenditure. This sequence has been proven time and again. We just keep hoping that this strategy will somehow, this time, work. It won’t. Face it. In our heart of hearts, we already ...