44 pages • 1 hour read
Jason FungThe Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2016A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 6Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 6: “The Solution”
Part 6, Chapter 19 Summary and Analysis: “What to Eat”
Chapter 19 offers advice about what to eat. Fung explains that all diets work in the beginning, but that they eventually fail because the body activates mechanisms to return to its set weight: Lost pounds come back as the metabolism slows and hunger increases. Like heart disease and cancer, obesity is a multifactorial disease. Calories, carbohydrates, insulin resistance, and sugar contribute to weight gain while fiber offers some protection. Of these factors, insulin is the most important. Most diets only address one part of the obesity problem while ignoring others. By contrast, Fung emphasizes the overlapping pathways that result in obesity, all of which relate to a hormonal imbalance, namely, high insulin levels. Patients with insulin resistance might benefit from fasting, while a diet low in refined carbohydrates may be more appropriate for those with high blood glucose levels. For others, increasing dietary fiber and reducing stress (and therefore cortisol) may be effective. For long-term success, doctors must treat different facets of the disease with diet, medication, and stress reduction.
Fung makes the following recommendations to treat obesity:
1) Reduce added sugars to lower blood glucose levels and insulin resistance. This includes reading food labels to avoid sucrose, glucose, maltose, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup and other refined sweeteners, avoiding sugary desserts and replacing them with fruit, cheese, and heart healthy nuts and dark chocolate, avoiding sugary snacks, replacing sugary breakfast foods with Greek yoghurt or eggs, and replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water, unsweetened coffee, unsweetened tea (especially green tea, which is high in antioxidants and metabolism-boosting polyphenols), and bone broth.
2) Reduce intake of refined grains. This includes replacing white flour, baked goods, and pasta with whole-grain options, quinoa, chia seeds, and beans, as well as consuming more unprocessed carbohydrates, such as carrots, zucchini, and Brussel sprouts.
3) Moderate protein intake. This recommendation centers on adapting protein consumption so it comprises less than 30% of total calories, and consuming different types of protein-rich foods, such as meat, eggs, dairy, and legumes.
4) Consume more natural fats. This entails consuming healthy fats, such as olive oil, nuts, full-fat dairy, and avocados, all of which protect against insulin spikes. It also requires eliminating trans fats.
5) Increase fiber and vinegar consumption. This includes eating more high-fiber whole foods to increase satiety and consuming vinegar to reduce insulin spikes.
Part 6, Chapter 20 Summary and Analysis: “When to Eat”
In Chapter 6, Fung argues that When to Eat is as important as what to eat to achieve lasting weight loss. Breaking the cycle of insulin resistance requires recurrent periods of low insulin, which is only achievable by intermittent fasts lasting 24 to 36 hours. Fasting, or voluntarily abstaining from food, is an ancient tradition practiced by many cultures for healing and spiritual purposes. The body responds to fasting by switching from burning glucose to burning fat (a process called ketosis). Blood glucose levels remain stable during periods of fasting, but insulin levels drop. Studies show that regular fasting also improves insulin sensitivity, not only reducing insulin resistance, but also improving the kidneys’ ability to rid the body of excess water and salt. Fasting results in immediate and long-term weight loss. It stimulates a growth hormone that maintains muscle and bone tissue mass. It also increases adrenaline levels, which increases the metabolism.
Contrary to popular belief, fasting does not lead to malnutrition. In fact, studies reveal that mineral levels remain stable during periods of fasting, aside from minor dips in potassium. According to the Minnesota Starvation Experiment, fasting does not lead to muscle loss or decreased brain function. Moreover, it does not slow the metabolism, lead to overeating, deprive the body of nutrients, or cause low blood sugar. Studies reveal that energy expenditure increases during a fast while sensations of hunger eventually decrease. Although women tend to enter ketosis faster than men, the rate of weight loss does not differ significantly between women and men. Moreover, unlike diets, which require constancy, fasting is intermittent in nature and thus lowers insulin levels and insulin resistance.
Fasting is an equitable approach to weight loss that anyone can practice. Large swathes of the population already fast, such as Mormons, who fast once per month, and Muslims who fast daily during the holy month of Ramadan. Fasting can be practiced alongside any healthy diet (Atkins, Mediterranean, and so forth). In addition, it simplifies life by reducing the time spent on shopping, cooking, eating, and cleaning up. Intermittent fasting is as important to weight loss as reducing refined grains and sugars, consuming proteins in moderation, increasing one’s consumption of natural fats, and choosing whole, unprocessed foods. Controlling the cortisol effect by getting enough sleep and reducing stress is also important. In sum, individuals must take a multipronged approach to combat obesity. Understanding the various factors influencing insulin levels is key to this process.
