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Research Outline
Prepared for Samuel B. | Delivered November 28, 2019
Carbohydrate-Insulin Model of Obesity
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Goals
To provide additional information on the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity.
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Early Findings
Carbohydrate-Insulin Model of Obesity
Overview
The
carbohydrate-insulin model
of obesity theorizes that "diets high in carbohydrates are
particularly fattening
due to their propensity to elevate insulin secretion."
The presence of
high levels of insulin
in blood may leads to the body absorbing too much glucose into cells. When the cells convert this excess
glucose to fat for storage
, weight gain sets in.
According to this model, hormonal changes within the body
promote calorie deposition
in adipose tissue, exacerbate hunger, and lower energy expenditure resulting in obesity.
The presence of insulin in the body is said to affect body weight because the hormone plays a major role in modulating
the activities of several enzymes
that are responsible for promoting uptake, retension, and storage of fat in adipose tissue.
The above facts plus the fact that dietary carbohydrates are the
primary drivers of insulin secretion
in the body have led to the hypothesis that high carbohydrate diets are
particularly fattening.
In summary, the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity puts forth that "diets with a high proportion of carbohydrate
elevate insulin secretion
and thereby suppress the release of fatty acids from adipose tissue into the circulation and direct circulating fat
toward adipose storage
and away from oxidation by metabolically active tissues such as heart, muscle and liver."
Relationship Between Food Intake and Weight
In carbohydrate-insulin model, the
type of food intake
i.e. carbohydrates is what results to weight gain as increased carbohydrates ingestion is believed to result in the
elevated secretion of insulin
, which in turn results in the convertion of blood sugar or glucose into fat for storage in the body's adipose tissue.
Consequently, in this model, the intake of foods that are
high in carbohydrates
result in weight gain as a result of the activities of insulin in the body.
Arguements Against the Model
A number of
the logical consequences
of the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity have been investigated through carefully controlled inpatient feeding studies. The results of these studies
failed to support key model
predictions.
Arguments against this model include the fact that
high dietary fat
can cause weight gain and obesity, usually at the expense of carbohydrates.
The model is also considered by many researchers
to be too simple
in how it explains obesity and according to nutrition experts, "despite the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, there are
no long-term conclusive data
to suggest these diets may increase metabolic function, suppress appetite, or lead to sustained weight loss."
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