Introduction.
Let’s clarify that obesity is simply the accumulation of excess fat on the body; obesity has nothing to do with being overweight.
Let’s suppose we have a bodybuilder; they would be considered overweight due to their enormous muscle mass, but obviously, they are not overloaded or obese.
Obesity is almost always attributed to excess calories, but it is more closely related to the multiple actions of insulin and glucagon on the storage/release of fat.
Insulin is the key. Let’s take a look at what happens in our body.
In the presence of a disease that involves a lack of insulin production, such as diabetes, one can eat and eat while continuing to lose weight.
This is because insulin drives the storage of fat in fat cells.
When you eat food, the body either breaks it down and burns it for energy or stores it as body fat in fat cells.
Both functions occur simultaneously, and even though both the storage and burning pathways are active to some degree all the time, one pathway usually predominates.
This is the key: are you mainly storing fat or primarily burning it for energy? Which pathway dominates most of the time?The fat flow consists of the fat you eat, the fat released from storage in your fat cells, and the fat you get from excess protein and carbohydrates.
That’s why you can’t eat fat-free cookies and ice cream and expect to lose fat!
The good news is that it’s possible to improve the direction of fat from adipose tissue to muscle cells and other tissues to burn for energy simply by stimulating
glucagon through diet.
Fat travels through the blood in a form called a “triglyceride,” a molecule made up of three fatty acids. On the surface of cells, enzymes break down the triglyceride molecule, allowing the fatty acids to enter the cells. Here, the fat reaches the mitochondria, ready to be burned.
But to do this, the mitochondria need carnitine, which acts like a shuttle system.
Insulin, on the other hand, inhibits this fat-carnitine shuttle system, saying, “We’re full, send that extra fat to the fat cells.” Glucagon, on the contrary, speeds up the shuttle, saying, “We need energy; let’s start breaking down fat!”
On the surface of fat cells, there are also two enzymes: the first (lipoprotein lipase) transports fatty acids into the fat cells. The other (hormone-sensitive lipase) does the opposite, releasing fat from fat cells into the bloodstream. And do you know what? Insulin stimulates the activity of the first enzyme, storing fat, while glucagon stimulates the other enzyme, the one that releases fat.
Conclusion:
If you are trying to lose weight, make sure not to follow a low-fat, high-complex-carbohydrate diet. It may work for a while, but you are very likely to regain your weight or even more.
Finally note that in this article we do not want to demonize carbohydrates, they are important for health and a healthy nutrition. Our intent is to warn you against insulin excess and its role in losing or gaining weight.
Do not prescribe diets to yourself, always consult your doctor or nutritionist.
