September 30, 2019

The 12 biggest myths about weight loss

Die 12 größten Mythen über den Gewichtsabbau

There is a lot of weight loss advice on the internet. Most of it is either not scientifically proven or has been proven not to work. Here are the 12 biggest lies, myths and misconceptions about weight loss - including the science behind them.

1. all calories are the same

The calorie is a measure of energy. All calories therefore have the same energy content. However, this does not mean that all calorie sources have the same influence on your body weight. Different foods go through different metabolic pathways and can have very different effects on hunger and the hormones that control your body weight.

For example, a protein calorie is not the same as a fat or carbohydrate calorie. Replacing carbohydrates and fat with protein can boost your metabolism and reduce both appetite and cravings, while optimizing the function of some weight-regulating hormones (1, 2, 3).

In addition, calories in the form of whole foods such as fruit tend to be much more satiating than calories from processed and refined foods such as sweets.

Summary: Not all calorie sources have the same effect on health and weight. For example, protein can stimulate metabolism, reduce appetite and improve the function of weight-regulating hormones.

2. weight loss is a linear process

Weight loss is not usually a linear process, as some people believe. Some days and weeks you will lose weight, while others you will gain some weight. However, this is nothing to worry about. It is perfectly normal for body weight to fluctuate up and down a little.

For example, on some days you may carry a little more food around in your digestive tract or retain more water than usual. This is even more pronounced in women, as water weight can fluctuate significantly during the menstrual cycle (4).

As long as the general trend is downwards, no matter how much your weight fluctuates, you will lose weight in the long run.

Summary: Weight loss can take a long time. This process is generally not linear, as your weight tends to fluctuate slightly up and down.

3. supplements can help you lose weight

The weight loss industry is a large sector with massive growth. Many companies claim that their supplements have dramatic effects, but they are rarely very effective when their effects are scientifically studied.

The main reason supplements work for some people is the placebo effect. People fall for the marketing tactics and want these supplements to help them lose weight, which results in them being more conscious of what they eat. However, some supplements can have a moderate effect on weight loss. The best of these can help you lose some weight over the course of several months. Summary: Most weight loss supplements are ineffective. The best ones can help you lose some extra weight.

4. obesity is all about willpower and not biology

It's inaccurate to say that your weight is all about willpower. Obesity is a very complex disorder with dozens - if not hundreds - of contributing factors. Numerous genetic variables are associated with obesity and various medical conditions such as hypothyroidism, PCOS and depression can increase the risk of weight gain (5).

Your body has numerous hormones and biological pathways that are designed to regulate body weight. These tend to malfunction in some people who suffer from obesity, which can make it much harder to lose weight and keep the lost weight off (6).

For example, resistance to the hormone leptin is one of the main causes of obesity (7). The leptin signal is supposed to send a message to your brain that your body has stored enough fat. However, if you suffer from leptin resistance, your brain thinks you are starving.

Trying to muster willpower and consciously eat less is very difficult in the face of a leptin-driven starvation signal. Of course, this doesn't mean that people should give up and accept their genetic fate. It is still possible to lose weight - it's just much harder for some people.

Summary: Obesity is a very complex disorder. There are many genetic, biological and environmental factors that influence body weight. So weight loss is not just about willpower.

5 Eat less and move more

Body fat is simply stored energy. To lose fat, you need to burn more calories than you consume. For this reason, it seems only logical that eating less and moving more should result in weight loss.

However, even though this advice works in theory - especially if you make permanent lifestyle changes - it is bad advice for people with serious weight problems. Most people who follow this advice end up gaining back any lost weight due to physiological and biochemical factors (6).

A major and sustained change in perspective and behavior is necessary to lose weight with diet and exercise. Simply reducing food intake and increasing physical activity are not enough.

Telling an obese person to simply eat less and exercise more is a lot like telling a person suffering from depression to be a little more cheerful or telling an alcoholic to drink less.

Summary: Telling people with weight problems to simply eat less and exercise more is ineffective advice that will rarely work in the long term.

6. carbohydrates make you fat

Low carbohydrate diets can support weight loss (8, 9). In many cases, this happens even without conscious calorie restriction. As long as you keep your carbohydrate intake low and your protein intake high, you will lose weight (10, 11).

However, this does not mean that carbohydrates cause weight gain. While the obesity epidemic started in the early 1980s, people have been eating carbohydrates for much longer.

In fact, whole foods that are rich in carbohydrates are often very healthy. Refined carbohydrates such as white flour and sugar, on the other hand, can definitely be linked to weight gain.

Summary: Low-carb diets are very effective for weight loss, but carbohydrates are not what cause obesity. Whole foods high in carbohydrates can be very healthy.

7. fat makes you fat

Fat provides about 9 kcal per gram, which is quite a lot compared to only 4 kcal per gram of protein or carbohydrates. Fat has a high calorie density and is common in junk food. However, as long as your calorie intake is within a healthy range, dietary fat will not make you fat.

In addition, numerous studies have shown that diets high in fat but low in carbohydrates can cause weight loss (12). Although a diet rich in unhealthy high-calorie junk food that is overloaded with fat will definitely make you fat, this macronutrient is not the only culprit.

In fact, your body needs healthy fats to function properly.

Summary: Fat has often been blamed for the obesity epidemic. However, even though it contributes to your total calorie intake, fat alone does not cause weight gain.

8. a healthy breakfast is necessary to lose weight

Studies show that people who skip breakfast tend to weigh more than people who eat breakfast regularly (13). However, this is probably more to do with the fact that people who eat breakfast are more likely to have other healthy lifestyle habits.

A study of 309 adults compared breakfast habits and found no effect on weight whether the subjects ate breakfast or skipped breakfast (14).

It is also a myth that eating breakfast boosts your metabolism and that eating many small meals will help you burn more calories throughout the day (15).

It's best to eat when you're hungry and stop eating when you're full. Eat breakfast if you want, but don't expect it to have a significant effect on your weight.

Summary: While it is true that people who skip breakfast tend to weigh more than people who eat breakfast, controlled studies have shown that breakfast does not play a role in weight loss.

9. fast food always makes you fat

Not all fast food is unhealthy. Due to the increasing health awareness of the population, many fast food chains have started to offer healthier options. In America, there is even a fast food chain that focuses exclusively on healthy food.

It is possible to eat something relatively healthy in most restaurants. Most cheap fast food chains now offer healthier alternatives to their main offerings. These foods may not meet the needs of every health-conscious person, but they are still a viable choice if you don't have the time or energy to cook a healthy meal.

Summary: Fast food doesn't have to be unhealthy. Most fast food chains now offer healthier alternatives.

10. weight loss diets work

The weight loss industry would have you believe that diets work. However, studies show that diets rarely work in the long term. These studies also show that about 85% of all dieters end up gaining back the weight they lost within a year (16).

In addition to this, studies suggest that people who diet are very likely to gain weight in the future. This means that dieting is a consistent predictor of weight gain - not weight loss (17).

The truth is that you probably shouldn't approach weight loss with a diet mindset. Instead, you should set a goal to permanently change your lifestyle and become a healthier, happier and fitter person.

If you manage to increase your activity levels, eat healthier and sleep better, then you should lose weight as a natural side effect of this. Dieting is unlikely to work in the long term.

Summary: Despite what the weight loss industry would have you believe, dieting usually doesn't work. It's better to change your lifestyle than to jump from diet to diet in the hope of losing weight.

11. obese people are unhealthy and thin people are healthy

It's true that obesity can increase the risk of several chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer (18, 19, 20). Nevertheless, there are many obese people who are metabolically healthy - and many thin people who suffer from these chronic diseases (21).

It seems to matter where the fat accumulates on your body. If you have a lot of fat in the abdominal area, then you are at a higher risk of metabolic disease (22).

Summary: Obesity is associated with several chronic diseases, but many obese people are metabolically healthy, while many thin people are not.

12. diet foods can help you lose weight

A lot of junk food is marketed as healthy. Examples include low-fat, fat-free and processed gluten-free foods, as well as high-sugar drinks.

You should be skeptical of any claims of supposed health benefits on food packaging - especially when it comes to processed foods. These claims are usually misleading advertising and not honest information.

Some junk food manufacturers will try to encourage you to eat their unhealthy, fattening foods. In fact, if a food package tells you that this food is healthy, chances are that the exact opposite is true.

Summary: Often products marketed as diet foods are junk food in disguise, which are highly processed and may contain hidden ingredients.

Conclusion

If you're trying to lose weight, you may have heard many of these myths. You may have even believed some of them, as it's hard to avoid them in the Western world.

However, most of these myths are not true and the true relationship between food, your body and your weight is much more complex.

If you are interested in healthy and permanent weight loss, then you should try to learn more about scientifically proven changes you can make to your diet and lifestyle.

References:

Source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-12-biggest-myths-about-weight-loss#section13

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