Recommended Non-technical Dietary--JK
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Why Some Don't Get Fat

10.  Why some don’t get fat --    11/23/16

Contains advice on how to keep weight off

A variety of factors work to reduce the probability of developing a fatty liver, the starting point for IR and its comorbidities.  It is the combination of fructose and glucose (especially form both sucrose and high glycemic index foods (thus refined carbs and other easily digestible carbs such as potatoes).  The sugar fructose is the starting point thus eating a low sugar diet.  High insulin level driven by high carbs drives liver fat storage.  The traditional Chinese diet though high in white rice (which is comparable to white bread) had little effect.   Experiments have come to the same:  feeding volunteers either a high level of fructose are glucose, only the fructose cohort developed IR. 

A flawed knowledge of the processes and poor recollection makes self-analysis of limited value.  Often the year in which a fatty liver has developed is unknown but surmised based on a gradual gain of weight; however, it is possible that the condition had developed years before, but based on a variety of factors listed below weight gain was minimal. 

Genetics of course make a difference, but not that much.  One authority placed it at 5%.   A major cause is learnt behavior from family, from community, from media.  Another cause for obesity is the prenatal environment.  A fetus is exposed to high level of blood glucose will develop more insulin-secreting cells “and the more insulin the child will secret as it get close to birth.  The baby will now be born with more fat and will become insulin resistant as it ages,” Taubes, supra 132.  The dramatic increase in early childhood obesity, as referred to by Dr. Lustig, is a striking result of unhealthy womb environment and the high sugar diet.  Thus what seems to be an inherited trait is in fact due to the womb environment and the western diet.  For 98% of the obese social factors and the western diet play a much greater role.  A classic review article on Obesity in Scientific American pointed out that while the American Pima Indians of Arizona have the world’s highest rate of diabetes and obesity[1], those on the Mexican side of the boarder have a very low rate.  Since each are from the same genetic pool—104 years of separation, statehood was granted Arizona in 1912—evolution cannot have created that great a difference.  “The diversion of the water and the introduction of non-native diet had devastating effects on the health of the people as well”—Wiki.  ‘The genes caused obesity and diabetes’ is simplification that hides the causes, similar to that of the weak willed people get fat:  more blaming the victim.


[1] See Gary Taubes, Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It, 2009 pgs.  19-24.

Various common ways to avoid the health disaster caused by IR while eating a Western diet (in approximate order of importance): 

Tight weight control and not allowing significant weight of more than 15% above thin body weight to be carried for years (the longer the weight is on the less likely that an energy-restricted diet will keep that weight long-term off)

Mini-fasting when dieting, or alternate day fasting.

Yielding to peer-pressure to be fit and trim

Avoid insulin and drugs that increase insulin, since insulin reduces fat metabolism.

Avoiding drugs with sedative effects (drowsiness, increasing sleeping, muscle relaxation), thus avoiding nearly all psychotropic drugs, some hypertension drugs, high doses antihistamines, SSRIs, and other drugs that inhibit the functions of neural transmitters.  Even when weight gain is not listed as a side effect, often it is.

Avoiding regular consumption of high-carb alcoholic beverages such as beer, since glucose competes with ethanol for metabolism in the liver, thereby increasing damage to the liver by slowing the clearance of toxic ethanol.

Regular exercise or strenuous lifestyle

Having good muscle tone

Multiple day fasting at least twice a year

Daily average of less than 40 grams for male (30 grams for a woman) of sucrose for an active average size person 

Major seasonal change in fructose and carb consumption

For seniors, natural hormone replacement therapy in sufficient dose (see my articles on testosterone and estrogen).

Getting more than 40% of calories from fats

High ratio of saturated fats to unsaturated fats which become rancid in the body (see Part 4 Fats for complex reasons)

Eating a high ratio of natural foods to manufactured foods thus limiting the sugar added foods.  

Major seasonal change in fructose consumption

Limiting the exposure to unnatural chemicals including drugs, food additives, pesticides, hormone mimics, and other sources such as cosmetics.

Aspirin 325 mg or greater per day, it lowers serum glucose—see 1950 Merck Manual, and Aspirin, under “diabetes”.

Genetics, some are more prone, others more resistant. Probably a significant factor in about 15% of those obese. 

The lack of sex hormones has been shown to play a significant role in weight gain.  Estradiol (the best of 4 estrogens) controls fat distribution, which is visually obvious as a girl develops during teen years.  Lack of estrogen cause women to gain abdominal weight following menopause and she loses muscle because her testosterone drops.[1]  The two sex hormones are structurally identical, but for one functional group.  Testosterone makes a different for men past the age of 60 when they do sufficient amount to restore them to a youthful level, which is what I did.  I started in 2004 with natural testosterone[2] from a compounding pharmacy.  It made my weight control easy.  I stopped weighing myself once I realized that my weight-regulatory system kept me between 161 and 166.  Only with fasting did drop to between 155-161 pounds.

     Until 2013 I ate a high carb diet, low fat diet, I avoided the weight gain by doing the most of the above.


[1] Part of the estradiol produced is converted to testosterone, and testosterone maintains muscle.  Reduced muscles are replaced by increased fat.  Less muscles increase the sedentary lifestyle of women who aren’t exercise addicts. A similar issue for elderly men and testosterone.  Both hormones significantly reduce the risk atherosclerosis and its comorbidities, osteoporosis, arthritis, dementia, some cancers.  This explains why pharma is against hormone replacement therapy. .  

[2] Pharma is against hormone replacement, and thus too are most doctors.  You must tell your doctor that a friend (me) has great success by raising his testosterone to a youthful level (above 700 ng/dl) and you want to do the same.  From a compounding pharmacy ¼ tsp. of 15% lotion (60 gm/mo.).  Tell him that you are willing to be at greater risk of prostate cancer and heart attacks which is what your doctor believes.  Both are false, and the opposite is the case, but pharma is against health and has generated junk science with the support of our government.  Androgel, the strongest of pharma’s testosterone products is less than half the dose required for significant benefits.  See Gary Taubes Why We Get Fat, his account of Wades rat, p 89-94, and elsewhere, where he discusses sex hormones’ roles in fat distribution.  Testosterone improves muscle tone, mass, and mood, for active lifestyle.  

Why fasting works--summary

There is a fallacy spread by industry contrary to that science; namely, that there is a simple mechanism governing metabolism of calories, and those who have a long-term weight issue can simply will to exercise more and eat less, and they will return to what had been their youthful weight.  However, we have inherited the complex mammalian weight regulatory system for omnivores.  In this system there are two main pathways for production in each cell by the mitochondria of the energy molecule ATP:  one metabolizes glucose the other fats. The surest way of fixing this system is to stay much longer in the fat-metabolizing mode of the mitochondria.  This is effectively accomplished by fasting.  Mammals have also evolved a system so that when out of food they actually have more energy (not less) for to hung and gather—it promotes survival.  Thus fasting is pleasant and thus easy.   I regularly skip breakfast, because it is pleasant to just drink lemon tea. 

The advice here is merely what JK would do in those situations. See your doctor for medical advice.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing--Edmond Burke

Perverse systems grow by recruiting good men--jk

Everybody thinks they know what good is, but they are confused--Plato

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