Research
Energy balance
The obesity epidemic is primarily driven by changes in the caloric quantity and quality of the food supply, specifically the industrialization of cheap, highly processed foods with supernormal appetitive properties, rather than by specific macronutrients like protein, fat, or carbohydrates.
Focus on the overall food environment rather than isolating single nutrients. The rise in obesity is linked to the availability of cheap, highly processed, convenient foods that are engineered to be overconsumed. Reducing reliance on these foods and increasing home-prepared meals may help mitigate intake.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Rather, obesity probably resulted from changes in the caloric quantity and quality of the food supply in concert with an industrialized food system that produced and marketed convenient, highly processed foods from cheap agricultural inputs.
Why this rating
Based on observational data, population trends, and experimental studies on ad libitum intake, though definitive population-level RCTs are acknowledged as difficult.
Source
Did the Food Environment Cause the Obesity Epidemic?
Kevin D. Hall · Obesity · 2017
DOI 10.1002/oby.22073
narrative_reviewCited 219×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
Related findings · Energy balance
- Achieving a total body weight loss of 10-15% (or >10-15 kg) through Total Diet Replacement (TDR) induces remission of Type 2 Diabetes in individuals with short-duration disease.Strong
- Bariatric surgery is superior to medical management alone for inducing significant long-term weight loss, remission of type 2 diabetes, and reduction in mortality for patients with BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with comorbidities.Strong
- Achieving type 2 diabetes remission requires significant weight loss (≥15 kg) via major caloric restriction, independent of macronutrient composition.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →