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Analysis Essay

The science of obesity: what do we really know about what makes us fat? An essay by Gary Taubes

BMJ 2013; 346 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f1050 (Published 16 April 2013) Cite this as: BMJ 2013;346:f1050

Rapid Response:

Re: The science of obesity: what do we really know about what makes us fat? An essay by Gary Taubes

I have to say that I am truly shocked by some of the responses/comments here regarding this article - especially by the physicians/clinicians who currently treat obese and diabetic people who are suffering greatly and losing their battle with these conditions.

FACT: You can lower a clients calories, alter the macronutrient composition to favor TAG storage (high carb/insulin) and gain body fat.

FACT: You can increase a clients total caloric intake and alter their macronutrient makeup to favor fat usage and see them lose fat.

If we don't understand and obey the hormonal aspects of why and how we gain and lose fat - the mechanisms of this - calorie counting is a crap shoot. CI/CO is an observation. It does not have any mechanism. We are interested in the mechanism just like we are interested in the mechanisms of how drugs work when people need them.

And weight loss is not the issue anyway - FAT loss is. We want our clients to lose fat discrimiantly. If the client loses fat, muscle, bone and organ tissue in the process of trying to lose fat alone, we have done them a disservice.

What is so wrong with someone trying to explain the mechanisms? Are we really just telling clients eat less? Eat less what? Eat less fat? Protein? Carbohydrate? What?

The client might need more protein intake and less carbohydrate and wind up eating more total calories but the compostion will now favor lean mass increases and fat mass decreases.

Let's all think about this a little harder shall we?

Competing interests: No competing interests

30 April 2013
Fred Hahn
Author, certified personal trainer
Serious Strength
169 west 78 st