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There are four prominent endocrine and metabolic disorders that not only contribute to obesity, but also make weight loss difficult. These conditions – “bad metabolism,” hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid, and “adrenal fatigue” – are frequently misdiagnosed by doctors, or incorrectly self-diagnosed by patients. As a result, healthy people may think that they have them, while truly affected – may miss them. Both groups suffer needlessly. Let’s review some of the long-held misconceptions about this paradox.
The first misconception is about “bad metabolism,” and it is the most common, approaching a near 100% popularity. Medically and nutritionally speaking, it is a complete opposite. What you may think is “bad” is, actually, “good,” and here is why.
Bad Metabolism
The truly “bad” metabolic disorders concern water balance and fluid volume; the balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate); acid-base regulation; disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, such as hypoglycemia, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, diabetic and alcoholic ketoacidosis; and lipid disorders, such as dyslipidemia and hypolipidemia [1].
These conditions affect people of all ages, genders, and body weights. Some of them are outright deadly, while others – such as diabetes or dyslipidemia – are chronic. Within the same group of conditions, some are associated with obesity, such as prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Others, such as type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis, result in profound and life-threatening weight loss.
Consequently, any time you mention “bad metabolism” in relationship to your weight, your doctor will know exactly what you mean, but may still chuckle at your misinterpretation. And if you continue insisting that you may have it, he or she may also tell you that when it comes to body weight, a true “bad metabolism” is a sign of impending death, and that a precipitous weight loss, not gain, is one of its primary symptoms.
The emaciated gentleman on the left is Steve Jobs of Apple fame, shortly before his premature and unfortunate death. Take a hard look at this heartbreaking picture. That is what an actual “bad metabolism” – meaning the body’s inability to properly metabolize nutrients essential for life – really looks like.
Not so long ago, the dominant thinking and attitudes toward metabolism was a complete opposite. When my mother met my dad, a tall and handsome man with manners to match, she was short and moderately overweight, with big hips and large breasts, an ideal body shape for the 1950s. Single men would look at her thinking: “Gosh, this lady is so attractive! I want her to become my wife and the mother of my children.”
Today’s young men, conditioned by the Victoria Secrets’ standards, are more likely to pass over someone like my mother in favor of a waifish girl like Calista Flockhart (32A-23-30), who just three generations ago would have had a hard time finding a marriage partner because of prejudices typical for that era:
- Her appearance would reflect probable malnutrition or chronic illness throughout early development. In that rough era of near-zero upward mobility, malnourished children came predominantly from impoverished households, and no man or woman wanted to marry into a poor family.
- Before the near universal availability of on-demand C-section, her narrow hips would be considered life-threatening during natural childbirth.
- Her small breasts would be assumed inadequate for motherhood because she might have difficulties breastfeeding her numerous offspring. This isn’t, really, entirely correct, but that’s, unfortunately, how it was and still is in undeveloped societies.
- Back then, her small body would be deemed too weak to chop wood, milk cows, carry buckets of water, and cook, clean, and wash from dawn to dusk for the entire family.
- Personality-wise, a person of her shape would be considered a “cold fish” because underweight women have lower levels of estrogen and are believed to be not as libidinous as normal weight or, even better, overweight women. I don’t know if that is true, but that’s how it was.
All of that primitive, misogynistic, and mostly unconscious thinking – to find a partner who will last you and your children through thick and thin – was, essentially, a basic “animal” instinct in action, honed over hundreds of thousands of years of pragmatic and merciless natural selection.
Naturally, that’s exactly what my father did without giving it a second thought – he married a woman with a good metabolism. He knew instinctively what my mom’s doctor told her after every check-up: “Polina, you have a fantastic metabolism!” For her generation it was an asset, not a curse. (The photographs of my parents on the right are from 1958, four years after my birth. They are, respectively, 43 and 37 years old).
True to form, my mother had an accidental pregnancy at the age of 45, while the usual rate of conception after age 40 is less than 5%. And that is after surviving the horrors of starvation and backbreaking labor during the four years of World War II as well as the devastation of postwar Russia.
Calista Flockhart, on the other hand, finally married actor Harrison Ford at the age of 46. In all probability, natural selection wasn’t on the mind of Mr. Ford, who at the time of their marriage in 2010 was already 68 years old. The couple is raising her adopted son Liam, who was born in 2001. Any way you look at it, the laws of evolution remain as tough today as they have ever been, even to someone as beautiful, talented, and famous as Ms. Flockhart.
So, if you too are endowed with a good metabolism just like my mother was, the problem isn’t with you, your genes, or your body, but with the times we are living – the sum of abundant food, minimal physical exertion, and all conceivable creature comforts is behind obesity epidemics on one hand, while the incorrect believe into “bad metabolism” causes many people to drop their weight loss diets too soon, or discourages them from considering one in the first place.
THE TAKEAWAY: Since it’s too late to get another set of genes, or become a lumberjack, or give up comforts, concentrate on the two factors that are still under your total control – what you eat and how your “burn” it! In fact, your “good metabolism” will work in your favor – the better it is, the faster you are going to lose weight.
Hypothyroidism and underactive thyroid
The situation with thyroid-related disorders is a lot more complicated than with bad metabolism. A true “underactive thyroid” – a vernacular for subclinical hypothyroidism – affects up to 10% of women and 6% of men, many of them over 65 years of age. The rate of clinical hypothyroidism is under 1.2% of women and 0.4% of men [2] predominantly among older adults, 33.3% of adult Americans are overweight and 35.9% are clinically obese, or 69.2% .
As you can see, the number of overweight people is significantly greater than the number of people affected by subclinical or clinical hypothyroidism [3], even though many people who are affected by adiposity – a shorthand for “overweight or obese” – believe they may have this condition because of weight loss resistance or weight gain on a moderate diet.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are people who are misdiagnosed and untreated because both conditions are challenging to manage even to specialists. According to The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, the early stages of this condition are associated with the following symptoms:
“…cold intolerance, constipation, forgetfulness, and personality changes. Modest weight gain is largely the result of fluid retention and decreased metabolism. Paresthesias [tingling – KM] of the hands and feet are common, often due to carpal-tarsal tunnel syndrome…[4]”
Please also note one significant detail in the above quote: “Modest weight gain is largely the result of fluid retention…” This explains why some people who are affected by this condition can’t lose weight even on a very low calorie diet – most of that extra weight comes at the expense of water, not body fat.
Women with hypothyroidism may also be affected by menorrhagia – an abnormally heavy bleeding during menstruation, or amenorrhea – an abnormal absence of menstruation. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, get evaluated by a board certified endocrinologist.
Because clinical hypothyroidism isn’t as common as some other disease, non-specialists may not be able to properly diagnose and treat you, especially during the earlier stages while the symptoms are still subtle, and the tests aren’t as definitive. If your diagnosis or treatment outcomes are not satisfactory, you may also consider working with alternative providers.
Things get even more complicated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. It is an autoimmune inflammatory condition of the thyroid. In addition to the transient symptoms of hypothyroidism during early stages, it is distinguished by painless enlargement of the thyroid gland, and, in some cases, a feeling of fullness in the throat. It may or may not be associated with adiposity.
The prevalence of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis ranges from 0.1 to 0.15% of the population (1 to 1.5 cases per 1,000 people), and it affects women 10 to 20 times more often than men. It is most common between the ages of 45 to 65, and it often runs in families (i.e. it has a genetic component).
The same immune mechanisms which cause Hashimoto’s thyroiditis may also cause Graves’ disease (thyroid enlargement, goiter), Addison’s disease, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease (an autoimmune inflammation in the small intestine), vitiligo (skin depigmentation), premature graying of hair (same mechanism as in vitiligo), pernicious anemia, and connective tissue disorders.
If you suspect that you may have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, GET TESTED. The level of thyroid hormones T4 and TSH may remain normal during early stages, making its diagnosis difficult in non-specialized clinical settings. Seek out a specialist trained in diagnosing and treating this relatively rare condition. 1 case in 1,000 is, indeed, rare for an internist who treats on average 2,000-3,000 patients a year, and may not encounter a single patient with Hashimoto’s in years.
I do not recommend commencing any type of weight loss diet until you are properly diagnosed and treated for hypothyroidism. A reduced calorie diet may deny your body from getting essential nutrients, and may exacerbate the progression of the disease. Besides, it isn’t likely to be effective anyway because of fluid retention.
As clinical hypothyroidism progresses, the symptoms become more severe and obvious, including precipitous weight loss. You can learn more about other manifestations of clinical hypothyroidism in countless online resources.
THE TAKEAWAY: Do not rely on outdated misconceptions about clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism. If you are experiencing any symptoms related to either condition, seek out the best treatment money can buy. Continuous weight gain in healthy people isn’t always a symptom of hypothyroidism. As epidemiological statistic – however flawed it may be – demonstrates, the majority of people with adiposity are not affected by hypothyroidism. If you are in this fortunate majority, you earlier failures to lose weight weren’t related to bad health, but to bad diets.
Adrenal fatigue
What you may think is “adrenal fatigue” endocrinologists call primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency. Both conditions are ascertained by a blood test, and treated, when necessary, with appropriate medication.
Primary adrenal insufficiency – also known as Addison’s disease – is a hard to miss condition because it is accompanied by severe skin pigmentation. Its prevalence – a medical term for the number of affected people – is less than 1 person in 14,000 (<0.007%) in population [5]. Just like truly “bad metabolism,” it causes weight loss, not gain:
“The slowly progressive loss of cortisol and aldosterone secretion usually produces a chronic, steadily worsening fatigue, a loss of appetite, and some weight loss. Blood pressure is low and falls further when a person is standing, producing lightheadedness. Nausea, sometimes with vomiting, and diarrhea are common. The muscles are weak and often go into spasm. [6]”
If you have any of the above symptoms, get tested immediately. This debilitating condition can be well controlled with medication.
The prevalence of secondary adrenal insufficiency is less than 1 person in 3,600, or 0.027% of the population. The symptoms of this condition are similar to Addison’s disease, but without pigmentation. Again, a blood test is required to screen it out and receive an appropriate and effective treatment.
A popular opinion exists that this condition may be substantially underdiagnosed. It may very well be correct, so let’s assume that there are 100 times more people affected by secondary adrenal insufficiency than what epidemiologists are telling us. Alas, it still comes to only 2.7%, a drop in the bucket next to 69.2% of the population with adiposity.
THE TAKEAWAY: Just as with “bad metabolism” and hypothyroidism, don’t rely on outdated misconceptions about “adrenal fatigue” and its relations to weight loss or gain. Seek out expert help to screen out primary and secondary adrenal insufficiency, and, if necessary, obtain adequate treatment.
References
[1] Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders; The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, online edition; Last accessed March 30, 2013; [link]
[2] Vanderpump, Mark P.J., “The epidemiology of thyroid disease.” (2011) : 39-51. [link]
[3] This calculation is based on the following numbers: percent of adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 35.9% (2009-2010); percent of adults age 20 years and over who are overweight (and not obese): 33.3% (2009-2010). Source: Department of Health and Human Services, Health, United States, 2011, by Kathleen Sebelius, et. al., 2011, [link to PDF]
[4] Hypothyroidism; Symptoms and Signs; The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, online edition; Last accessed March 30, 2013; [link]
[5] Division of Medical Sciences, University of Birmingham, and Department of Medicine, Endocrine and Diabetes University of Wurzburg, “Adrenal Insufficiency,” Lancet, 361 (2003): 1881-93; [link to PDF]
[6] Margulies, Paul, MD; National Adrenal Diseases Foundation; Addison’s Disease – The Facts You Need To Know; “What are the symptoms of Addison’s Disease?” Last accessed March 30, 2013; [link]
Previous posts from the “Why Diets Fail?” series:
1. The Real Reason Diets Fail and What You Can Do About It
2. How Long Will It Take Me to Lose the Weight?
3. Why One Calorie For Her Is Half a Calorie For Him
For your health and safety, please read these important Weight Loss Common Sense Warnings and Disclaimers before commencing a reduced calorie diet.
Traci, it takes time! I just listened to a story of a gal who went to her naturopath every 6 months for 4 years and is now doing great. I still take adrenal supplements (Cytozyme-AD and Drenatrophin) and your B vitamins are very important, especially B5. Find a good naturopath and keep going – it takes a lot of messing around every few months for the proper dosages.
Thank you for changing the title of your post. That was very kind.
Ella,
You are very welcome. I am not after a scandal or ratings, but after providing quality information. Didn’t realize that people with endocrine disorders are so under-served by medical community, or that the treatments may be ineffective for so many.
I found your comments about nutrient metabolism very interesting. I had Grave’s Disease in my late 20ties. I was off the charts but thankfully my endocrinologist worked with me and got it under control without touching my thyroid. At the same time my cholesterol was below the “good” range. I was wasting away. All is well with me now except I struggle to get my vitamin D level up and I think it’s because I don’t metabolize cholesterol well. Any advice on that?
Also, I love your comment “there is no point in berating me for providing essential information.”
Hi Sheena,
I used to always have vitamin D levels in the lower end of the recommended range (in the 30s)… but since I started to take vitamin K2, my D levels have skyrocketed. Look into this. I have always taken Vitamin D3 supplements, but only until I added my K2 supplement in did my D levels go up. I have read that D3 doesn’t work without the K2. There are a few foods that have K2 in them, specifically natto, and I know raw milk and dairy has some, but not in the amounts of natto. Good luck.
We do take FCLO and consume raw dairy. But I can see how it could be a K2 issue. On occasion I have had signs of a K deficiency.
Sheena, I really don’t know. Sarah has written a lot on this subject. Please try to go through her posts. She also talks about it a lot in her book, and cites relevant literature. I highly recommend reading her book. Hopefully, you’ll find relevant information, and share it here.
Sheena,
Thank you. Please don’t try to “chase” the blood test. Just take fermented or cold pressed liquid cod liver oil, or supplement with natural vitamin D, and you’ll be fine. The current consensus is that up to 2,000 U.I. is safe. If you’ll be getting all of your vitamin D from liquid CLO, watch out for exceeding safe levels of Vitamin A.
I find several problems with this article. For starters, the pictures above it are demeaning and insulting to anybody who has tried, without success, to lose weight for much of their lives (face it, people don’t WANT to be overweight).
As a child, teenager and young woman I was a stick and seriously underweight. Then, when pregnant with my first child, I kept gaining weight, and was completely unable to lose it again. I’ve had five live children, and eight miscarriages, meaning I was for much of my adult life either pregnant, nursing or recovering from miscarriages.
It turns out that doctors missed the diagnosis of Celiac disease all my life, until I figured it out myself when I was 52.
The reality is, that unexplained weight GAIN can be a sign of severe malnutrition too, but most people think that malnutrition always causes weight loss.
But eating food that for me was pure poison for over fifty years wrecked my adrenal glands and thyroid, as well as my lungs. And it did mess with my metabolism, in fact, it slowed it way down.
As a result I am not just gluten intolerant, but carbohydrate intolerant. I can’t eat any grains or starches (other than carbs from non-starchy vegetables) without instantly gaining weight. That took me a while to figure out. Right now all I am eating is meat, fat and some vegetables, to (as my naturopathic doctor says) ‘reset’ my metabolism to function again as it should.
BUT I LOOK perfectly healthy, which will fool people into thinking I am just fat because I overeat. In fact, I’ve found out over the years, that the less I eat, the more I gain. On the other hand, eating lots of meat and saturated fats is the only way for me to lose weight.
The biggest problem in today’s society is the government’s food pyramid, which is all wrong. It is the cause of the obesity epidemic. People that follow this ‘healthy’ eating chart will end up not so healthy.
As for you advice of only eating white rice….. you might as well tell people to eat sugar with a spoon right out of the sugar bowl. White rice (as well as other white grains) will be turned instantly into sugar by the body, which is NOT a good thing!
I am not only intolerant to gluten grains, but to ALL grains, including rice. Rice (even white rice) isn’t as hypoallergenic as you think it is. Not to mention, that if I would eat white rice, it would make me gain weight (and I’m not the only one who has that problem).
And no, my family never ate junk. I have five slim kids (and now 17 slim grandchildren)… I’ve always been the ONLY one in my family who was overweight. When you have one overweight person in a large family, who all eat the same healthy foods, then it has nothing to do with what that person eats, but it shows that something must be wrong.
Ursula,
Consider the following quote from the research paper entitled “Why Is the Obesity Rate So Low in Japan and High in the U.S.? Some Possible Economic Explanations“:
“More than one billion adults are overweight worldwide, and more than 300 million of them
clinically obese, raising the risk of many serious diseases. Only 3.6 percent of Japanese have a
body mass index (BMI) over 30, which is the international standard for obesity, whereas 32.0
percent of Americans do. A total of 66.5 percent of Americans have a BMI over 25, making
them overweight, but only 24.7 percent of Japanese”
http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/14321/1/tr06-02s.pdf
White rice happens to be a main staple of Japanese diet from crib to grave.
My recommendations to eat rice are intended for people with severe digestive disorders because white rice is the least allergenic from all grains, it is unprocessed, it is easy to cook, and it provided 96% pure starch essential for people to prevent muscle wasting. If not rice, what else?
NOBODY needs any grains or starches to prevent muscle wasting. The Inuit used to eat NOTHING but meat, fish and blubber, and they certainly didn’t suffer from muscle wasting. In fact, they were perfectly healthy until they started adopting a western diet, including loving tea with LOTS of sugar.
There are lots of people like me who eat no grains or starches, and I have never heard that without starch you would suffer from muscle wasting, that simply isn’t true.
http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/
Ursula,
Technically speaking, that is correct. Humans (non-Inuit) can live on fat and proteins alone for a while, assuming they get supplemental vitamin C. In fact, my next post will be exactly about this subject.
Alas, I am not Inuit, and neither 99,99999999% of my readers. To eat like Inuit you also need to be born Inuit, live like Inuit, and have the same evolutionary adaptation as Inuit to a diet with minimal or no vitamin C.
According to the mortality records of Inuit population between 1822 to 1836 (way, way, way before Western influences), the life expectancy of Inuit in traditional settings was 43.5 years excluding infant mortality. It may had been higher if not for their contact with outsiders (who brought along infective diseases), but not significantly higher. (Source: http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/07/mortality-and-lifespan-of-inuit.html)
Also, one must be relatively young or super-healthy to live on meats and fats alone, because most adults over age fifty don’t have good enough teeth to consume only meats, or suffer from the condition called “atrophic gastritis,” or their bodies are no longer producing sufficient amounts of gastric acid and digestive enzymes to properly digest and assimilate animal proteins, or all of the above.
I don’t know how old you are, but I will be sixty years old in a month. And I do quite well on the above mentioned diet. In fact, when I eat anything other than meat, fat and a few vegetables, I don’t feel so good, and I gain more weight.
Ursula, I am 58. You must be very fortunate + few vegetables… Not exactly pure “Inuit.” One exception doesn’t make a rule. And that was a point of my response to you.
Usula. you would be amazed at the amount of lichens, berries and greens that are consumed by this people group. It is a mistake to perpetuate this myth that they never ate carbs.
An explanation of the situation relating to the Japanese diet you mention (cut and paste): “youtube: Gary Taubes on carbohydrates and degenerative disease” (only 6.11 mins.)
IMO, if people believe they have thyroid issues or adrenal fatigue they should find a qualified doctor and get a complete bloodwork panel done ASAP. I do believe if you catch it early enough you might be able to control it without meds. Overall good diet and exercise will help either way, I think. But if people wait to get checked because someone makes them feel like it is all in their head, thyroid health may continue to deteriorate. I’m now on Armour, but I continue to look for ways to help my thyroid through diet, etc. I would love to avoid meds, it may be too late, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. Avoiding gluten seems to be helping, but make sure you get tested before starting this if you suspect Celiac–going gluten free before testing can affect this bloodwork. Unfortunately mainstream doctors may not be able to give you much nutritional advice; that’s why it’s nice to find supportive thyroid health forums.
It is very disappointing to read all of the negative comments, I thought we were a group of people who are always looking outside of the box. I too disagree with this article and feel it is contradictory to most of the lectures I was at at the Detroit MI WAP conference, but to stop following ones blog cuz of one article sounds like something mainstream people do not us Westy’s.
I don’t know, I have never met anyone who was able to fake thyroid disease, nor have I read anything (before this) claiming that people were doing so. All of the literature I have read points to the fact that thyroid disease is being under-diagnosed (and treated as depression) and mis-managed.
They all have these disfunctions because of overweight. I have read this Monastyrskyi before, im not a follower of his, not because he is straightforward, but because he is a low fat diet guy, so it is a contradiction to WAPF. I think she is discrediting herself.
Davia,
This is simply not true. I myself get 50% to 60% of my calories from fat. Here is my public position on fats. It is exact same as WAPF:
Q. Why dietary fat is important for health and longevity
People who don‘t consume adequate amounts of fat regularly may develop the following disorders:
— Constipation, because dietary fat is a primary stimulant of the gastrocolic reflex.
— Gallbladder disease, because dietary fat is the sole stimulus for the release of bile. If bile isn‘t regularly released from the gallbladder, bile salts may form gallbladder stones.
— Acute cholecystitis, because unused bile salts or gallbladder stones may obstruct the hepatic (bile) ducts – the outlet tubes that connect the liver to the gallbladder and duodenum [link].
— Weight gain and obesity, because dietary fat is a primary substance behind the control of satiety, hunger, and appetite.
— Enterocolitis (inflammatory disease of the small and large intestine) because underutilized bile causes inflammation of the intestinal mucosa and diarrhea.
— All forms of bone and joint diseases (tooth loss, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rickets, scoliosis, and osteomalacia, rheumatoid arthritis), because dietary fat is essential for absorption of vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium in the small intestine.
— Rapid vitamin D deficiency and all related disorders, because an absence of dietary fat prevents the absorption of dietary vitamin D and reabsorption of the endogenous vitamin D secreted with bile.
— Heart disease and hypertension, because vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium regulate contraction and relaxation of smooth (blood vessels) and cardiac (heart) muscles.
— All kind of skeletal-muscular disorders, such as fibromialgia, for the same reasons as above.
— Blood disorders, because dietary fat is essential for absorption of dietary vitamin K a coagulation factor, and because essential fatty acids are required in the “manufacture” of blood cells.
— Impaired immunity, night blindness, and skin disorders, because dietary fat is essential for absorption of vitamin A.
— A broad range of cognitive dysfunctions, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory disease, infertility, amenorrhea, nerve damage, cancers, and other conditions, related to acute deficiency of essential fatty acids.
— Cellulite and other skin disorders, related to overconsumption of vegetable fats to satisfy cravings while avoiding animal fat.
— Undesirable exposure to unstable trans and rancid fats in all vegetable oils, which are considered the primary triggers of inflammatory diseases (digestive, cardiovascular, atherosclerosis, joints, asthma), and cancer.
Why, then, is Uncle Sam telling you not to consume animal fats? It‘s simple – vegetable fat costs a penny a pound to produce, while quality animal fat is much more expensive. Ages ago, the agro-industrial oligopolies funded academic research to “prove” the benefits of vegetable fats, lobbied the government, and spread enormous amounts of disinformation through the trade groups. This has been going since the beginning of the 20th century, with the advent of margarine and related technologies to package and resell vegetable fats.
At one point everyone began to believe their own lies, and they became the “truth.” This happening has two names – groupthink and mass psychosis. The advent of vegetable fats and the disgrace of animal fats very much parallels the advent of dietary fiber. And, just like with fiber, its affects aren‘t immediately apparent, and take a long time to develop. It‘s not really a conspiracy per se, but more like a collective stupidity.
You won‘t find a reputable scientist or doctor attacking these points, because all of the above is broadly taught in every biology, physiology, and medical biochemistry class, and isn‘t a subject of debate. Yes, some paid PR flacks from trade groups may shill and shrill, but their opinion in this debate is just as relevant as angry barks behind the fence, particularly in the Internet era.
What you‘ve just learned isn‘t an invitation to consume unlimited fats, animal or vegetable alike, as Dr. Atkins once recommended. Dietary fat digests almost completely and the excess is deposited under the skin as fat for storage. The “excess” is the difference between the fat used by the body for energy and plastic needs (to make cells, hormones, etc.) and all digested fat.
Your energy needs vary, depending on your carbohydrate consumption. The plastic needs are in the ballpark of 1 gram per 1 kg of body weight. In other words, if you consume adequate amounts of carbs and proteins, and weigh 70 kg, consuming about 100 g of fat will not increase you weight. (The extra 30 grams are for losses from stools, cellular uptake in the intestines, and inefficiency in digestion.)
The longevity diet (i.e. basic nutrition) is naturally moderate-to-low in fat, because natural meats, fowl, fish and seafood, and fermented dairy are relatively low in fat. In fact, most of the excess of fat consumption in the American diet is coming from vegetable oils well hidden in fried foods, sauces, dressings, and mayonnaise. If you exclude all vegetable oils from your diet, you aren‘t likely to consume excess animal fat, unless you do it consciously and intentionally.
Also, note that sometimes I recommend an increase in animal fat (butter) consumption because it‘s essential to overcome digestive disorders and related conditions. Once you normalize your situation, you can resume moderate fat consumption.
Finally, if you are overweight, then, with the exception of essential fatty acids from liquid fish oil, you don‘t need any additional fat. Your body will supply all the fat you need for energy and plastic metabolism. This is, in fact, the most reliable method of weight loss. Still, you need to consume moderate amounts of fat to prevent hepatic and intestinal dysfunctions, listed in the bullet points below.
Excerpted from the “THE INGREDIENTS OF LONGEVITY NUTRITION” essay http://www.gutsense.org/gutsense/nutrition.html
Please don’t spread the falsehoods.
“Synthroid is the 3d most prescribed drug in the US. So, yes, hypothyroidism is common.” oh yes, it must be true, because doctors NEVER prescribe drugs people don’t need nor do they misdiagnose people on purpose for the almighty $. /sarcasm
And maybe the author did touch on some of this in his article, but not before first implying that most of us are basically big fat liars.