Hormonal
High-glycemic load carbohydrates promote obesity by stimulating insulin secretion, which partitions calories into adipose tissue, thereby reducing circulating fuel availability, increasing hunger, and lowering energy expenditure.
To manage weight, prioritize the quality of carbohydrates over strict calorie counting. Reduce intake of high-glycemic foods like refined grains, potatoes, and added sugars. Instead, emphasize low-glycemic carbohydrates such as non-starchy vegetables, legumes, and whole fruits. This approach aims to lower insulin levels, reduce fat storage, and decrease hunger, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight without severe restriction.
According to the Carbohydrate-Insulin Model (CIM) of obesity (CIM) proposes that a high-carbohydrate diet – including large amounts of refined starchy foods and sugar... produces postprandial hyperinsulinemia, promotes deposition of calories in fat cells instead of oxidation in lean tissues, and thereby predisposes to weight gain through increased hunger, slowing metabolic rate, or both.
Why this rating
The paper cites animal studies and short-term human trials as supportive but explicitly states evidence in humans remains 'inconclusive' and requires 'definitive studies'.
Source
The Carbohydrate-Insulin Model of Obesity
David S. Ludwig et al. · JAMA Internal Medicine · 2018
DOI 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.2933
More from this paper
- High-glycemic load diets lower energy expenditure and increase hunger compared to low-glycemic load or low-carbohydrate diets, even when calorie intake is controlled.Moderate
- Individuals with high insulin secretion in response to carbohydrates are more likely to gain weight on high-glycemic load diets and benefit more from low-glycemic or low-carbohydrate diets.Moderate
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