Do you subscribe to Gary Taubes's alternative hypothesis of obesity? page 4

[Moochy]

We need carbs though, everyone knows this.

Why do you believe this? We do not need carbs. We need fats and protein or we perish. Physically active people IMO have a greater need for carbs for their own personal requirement. Impaired metabolic (Diabetic II/metabolic Syndrome) people should stay very low carb. Everyone else is somewhere on Marks curve. The fact that we get vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other benefits from eating vegetables and some fruit is a bonus. But, we do not need carbs.

I stay at 70 grams of carbohydrate or below every day to maintain fat burning as my primary source. For me, sugar is a killer to my system. Obesity, diabetes, hypertension run in my family.

[paleo-bunny]

What about inflammatory foods? Don't they cause insulin resistance as well?

Yes, good point.

[Apex Predator]

Why do you believe this? We do not need carbs. The fact that we get vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other benefits from eating vegetables and some fruit is a bonus. But, we do not need carbs.

It's best not to feed that troll.

We do need glucose, one type of carb, which is why our bodies will make it if need be. Perhaps you mean dietary carbs?

While they may not be absolutely strictly necessary, for some of us, they make life much more tolerable. Keto sucks for me. (Yes, I ate plenty of fat, waited it out, etc.)

[jakey]

No, not really. Yes, starches are the problem and yes Gary is right in pointing out that the researchers have known this for over 100 years. We need carbs though, everyone knows this. He would have been a lot more radical if he had said in his books that sugar and fruit is OK while hammering home that grains & PUFA are the devil. I haven't read GCBC only WWGF, can't remember what all he said about PUFA but pretty sure it's not his central thesis.

ah, fierce... your conversion from kruse kool-aid drinker to ray peat follower is miraculous. entertaining. starch is the new carbs-in-winter, i see.

[Neckhammer]

ah, fierce... your conversion from kruse kool-aid drinker to ray peat follower is miraculous. entertaining. starch is the new carbs-in-winter, i see.

Now she can literally suck down kool aid....white sugar is peat approved!

[Paleobird]

Yes I do. Gary Taubes is a great writer and researcher.

I look at it the way I did teachers and class periods in high school. My first period I had Dr. Atkins, lit a spark. The bell rang and then I went to Mr. Sean Croxton's class, learned how to say "Yo, what's up y'all!" and about a book called "Good calories, bad calories". The bell rang again and I went to Mr. Taubes class, learned a boatload of head scratching scientific stuff. Another bell rang and I went to my locker and let everything I had learned sink in while walking down the hallway.

Now I'm in Mr. Sisson's class and it's cool, cause I get to go barefoot, play outside and splash in the water like a kid and act like a Neanderthal. Life is good!

I liked this attitude toward nutrition/fitness/health gurus. Take a little something from each one and keep building on it and integrating it. One guru doesn't have to be vilified and repudiated and the next sanctified. Not all the wisdom in the world is going to come from any one source.

[Paysan]

And then there's me, who was skinniest the day I was born, at 6.5 lbs. By 10 months, I weighed 29 lbs., and, according to my mother and aunts, never tasted sugar until I was 1 yr old. (Lactose from breast milk gets most of the blame.) After that, stand back! I exploded. At 12 years, I weighed 159 lbs.on a mostly home-cooked diet administered by a conscientious parent.The SAD diet gave way to goatmilk, homemade ww breads, garden goodies , primal meats,etc. And I continued my obesity through 6 pregnancies and farm life. Not till I tried following Atkins and cut carbs wayyyy down (no artificial subsitutes, either), did my weight start dropping. Too late - I am having heart problems galore, but I think Atkins and Taubes had the right guideposts.

[Linny]

I also his whole theory on activity levels to be a bit ridiculous--I know some very active obese folks (some of whom are also type II diabetics).

What's wrong with his theory on activity levels? Taubes points out that many of the obese have physically demanding jobs.

[paleo-bunny]

What's wrong with his theory on activity levels? Taubes points out that many of the obese have physically demanding jobs.

I notice that a lot of nurses are obese. I'm sure there's a sociodemographic factor at play, but also a negative effect of working night shifts on metabolism and hormone regulation, which is usually more detrimental to women than it is to men.

ETA: Obviously, nurses are very active as jobs go these days.

[Neckhammer]

I notice that a lot of nurses are obese. I'm sure there's a sociodemographic factor at play, but also a negative effect of working night shifts on metabolism and hormone regulation, which is usually more detrimental to women than it is to men.

ETA: Obviously, nurses are very active as jobs go these days.

No doubt. Hormonal. Seen this in many nurses. Switch em over to day shift and watch their health status improve as the fat magically melts away.