Thanks for this information on "other than only calories" effects.
Not long ago, I posted some recent findings that there are animals and
people who can eat a lot more than average and still not gain weight, as
well as animals and people that can lose more weight on a specific
calorie input than others.
GROWTH HORMONE
In the animal case, the easy weight losers had higher levels of growth
hormone.
In a small scale human study, they found that high levels of Human
Growth Hormone (HGH) were present in those subjects who lost the most
weight on an Iso-calorie diet.
With age increase, HGH declines making it easier for older folks to gain
weight.
With exercise, HGH levels increase (often) and it is suggested that one
role of exercise, beyond mere calorie burning, could be to increase HGH
and metabolism.
In other words, people are not identical mechanical fuel burners.
Probably, anyone who raises lots of animals has observed that some gain
weight much more easily than others.
It is simply foolish to believe that all people metabolize food in the
same way....
We know of enzyme defficiencies that prevent people from metabolizing
sugars - milk lactose and lactose intolerance.
Lactose intolerance shows up pretty messily.
Other enzyme defficiencies (there are millions of enzymes) can be
present and not show up pretty messily, but more subtly such as
increased or decreased propensity to gain/lose weight.
The human body and its complexities makes rocket science look easy.
We have far more "amateur diet experts" than "amateur rocket experts".
Even "amateur rocket experts" know enough to treat their experiments as
dangerous to life and limb. But, "amateur diet experts" display little
such mature caution.
Thanks again.
Quoted message said:I thought this was relevant to the "Three reasons why calories probably
don't count" thread, but Google kept stalling before I could get to the
end of the thread....
I just interviewed Dr. Richard Atkinson, who studies an adenovirus that
he believes is a major cause of obesity, and it was really interesting.
The MP3 audio file is available at www.welltopia.com, but if you can't
listen (or just don't want to), some of the major points are:
* Studies they did on twins were very suggestive that the virus plays a
role in weight gain in humans.
* 60% to 100% of animals they infected became obese WITHOUT EATING MORE
than the non-infected animals who didn't gain weight. (The 100% number
is from monkeys. I forgot to ask if they were more sedentary...sorry.)
* 30% of the obese people they tested had been infected with the virus,
versus only 10% of non-obese people. (They think the 10% just haven't
gotten obese yet.)
He really does add more interesting information in the interview, and I
hope you have time to listen to it; but even if you don't it is a
really interesting idea and adds to the idea that calories alone aren't
the only factor in why people gain weight.
I would also recommend Gina Kolata's book "Ultimate Fitness". The book
is way too long for what it is, but there are some really interesting
bits about studies showing that people respond extremely differently to
exercise. Supposedly 10% of people can exercise as hard as possible and
never increase their VO2-max.
Best wishes,
Mignon Fogarty
Absolute Science Podcast www.welltopia.com
Download Apple iTunes and Subscribe
--
1) Eat Till SATISFIED, Not STUFFED... Atkins repeated 9 times in the book
2) Exercise: It's Non-Negotiable..... Chapter 22 title, Atkins book
3) Don't Diet Without Supplimental Nutrients... Chapter 23 title, Atkins
book
4) A sensible eating plan, and follow it. (Atkins, Self Made or Other)
