OREANDA-NEWS. The main cause of obesity is not overeating, but the consumption of food with a high glycemic index, rich in fast carbohydrates. The hormones caused by it's consumption trigger a large-scale restructuring of the metabolism, which leads to the accumulation of fat and weight gain. Such conclusions were reached by an international group of researchers, whose article was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The research notes that most weight loss strategies are based on an energy balance model, which suggests that excessive energy consumption is the cause of excess weight. However, this does not explain the steady increase in the number of overweight people. Researchers from Harvard, Cornell and the University of California have put forward a new explanation based on the carbohydrate-insulin model. According to it, the main cause of obesity is excessive consumption of food with the so-called high glycemic index, in particular products with a high degree of processing and fast carbohydrates.

The hormones caused by their consumption trigger a large-scale restructuring of the metabolism, which leads to the accumulation of fat and weight gain. When consumed, the body increases the release of insulin and suppresses the production of glucagon, allowing fat cells to accumulate calories. This leads to a lack of them in the muscles and other tissues involved in metabolism, and the brain receives information about this, causing a person to experience hunger. In addition, in an attempt to save fuel, the metabolism itself slows down.