The Obesity Code is a great book. I wanted to review the key concepts here. The subtitle is “Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss”. Jason Fung, MD does a great job explaining how weight gain and obesity are driven by hormones and only understanding the effects of insulin and insulin resistance can we achieve lasting weight loss. This is the same philosophy I use in my Sugar Buster Program.
The truth is, there are multiple overlapping pathways that lead to obesity. The common uniting theme is the hormonal imbalance of high insulin levels.
Here are 5 basic truths.
- All diets work in short term, but we have been ignoring the long-term problem of insulin resistance.
- Obesity is a hormonal disorder of fat metabolism.
- Insulin is the main hormone that drives weight gain.
- The main approach is to reduce added sugars. insulin levels.
- There are multiple ways to reduce insulin and we need an integrated approach.
Most “diets” attack one part of the problem at a time. The probability of success is higher with a broad-based approach. It is important to individually address the cause of high insulin levels. For example, if chronic sleep deprivation is the main problem causing weight gain, then just reducing refined grains is not going to be the answer.
When it comes to the question of what to eat, here are Dr Fung’s basic steps.
- Reduce consumption of added sugars.
- Reduce consumption of refined grains.
- Moderate your protein intake.
- Increase your consumption of natural fats.
- Increase your consumption of fiber.
