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

by Jason Fung

In chapter 3, we saw the caloric-reduction view of obesity relies on five assumptions that have been proved to be wrong. 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.