Why We Eat (Too Much): The New Science of Appetite

by Andrew Jenkinson

The only way to lose weight is to understand what controls your metabolic and appetite drives

The crucial elements of metabology are the weight set-point theory and its effect on the vigorous defence of a fat store that is calculated by the subconscious brain to be appropriate and healthy (considering our genes, our current environment and our past history).

We have learned that it is impossible to sustain weight loss in the long term unless you have first reset your weight set-point to a lower level. The basic premise of this book is that we can only do this by adjusting the type of food we eat, changing our food culture, de-stressing, improving our sleeping habits and maintaining good muscle health.

The diets are all different, but for our patient the result was usually the same: transient limited weight loss, followed by metabolic adaptation to the diet and a decision to stop it; then weight regain, and after each of the diets a new higher weight set-point.

Weight loss by changing your habits and environment (e.g. walking to work, doing a sports class or going to the gym a couple of times a week), and therefore changing the signals that you are sending to your weight-control centre, is the only way to successful, sustained weight loss.

hope that it is clear now that sustained weight loss can only be achieved by lifelong eating and lifestyle adjustments – changes that will lower your weight set-point and give you a better quality of life.

It is crucial to understand the concept of the weight set-point – this will be the key to your success.