DIET

there are many aspects involved in how and what we eat: emotional, chemical, physical, genetic, cultural, psychological parameters are part of the mix.
Enteric Nervous System

Obese may be food 'junkies' with constant cravings

figure from the NYTimes

from a recent study:

Hormonal Controls

Enteric Nervous System, the little brain

figure from Science The Gut and Energy Balance: Visceral Allies in the Obesity Wars

Hughs Lectures

1  2  3  4

CULTURAL

surgical approaches and dangers

Bariatric Surgery

DIETS

Live Longer A diet low in calories leads to longer life in animal studies

Low-Calorie Diet May Lead to Longer Life for people

Fate of fat

Barbara's Obesity NewsLetter

Many diets stress lowering fats and replacing them with carbohydrates. Others suggest lowering carbohydrates inducing ketosis and getting ones calories from protein such as Atkins . The Zone advocates decreasing carbohydrates in favor of fats and proteins. Ketosis induces light headedness and naseua which may reduce one's appetite but doesn't seem desirable in terms of life long committment.

While it may be psychologically easier to give up fats or carbohydrates, the best advice is to have a balance between proteins, carbohydrates and fats:

• A low carbohydrate diet (high protein and fat) will cause loss of water weight (excretion of amonia) and lead to ketosis (we need to keep the brain fed).
• A low fat diet (high protein and carbohydrates) may have the problems Barry Sears talks about in his zone books. The carbohydrates cause insulin to be released, there is then a rebound effect when the blood sugar gets low and one gets hungry for a high carbohydrate meal and the cycle repeats. Some think this may ultimately cause insulin insensitivity and diabetes.
• A low protein diet (high carbohydrates and fats) will be very high in calories and dangerous to your health since only half our amino acids can be made the rest need to come from protein in the diet.

Exercise

Metabolic Pathways

Successful dieters use exercise and don't give up foods so much as restrict the amounts of certain high calorie favorites.

ask the dietician is a good site with good advice

DIET DRUGS

Obesity medications in use dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved with coordination, memory, focus, pleasure and other emotions. Norepinephrine and adrenaline are neurotransmitters and hormones mostly associated with stress and emergency response. amphetamines in the 3rd row work by mimicing the above transmitters or by blocking their reuptake from the synapse. The bottom row shows the components of the diet medications fen/phen and redux which work in similar ways to the amphetamines but seem to also effect serotonin levels perhaps by blocking reuptake.  Phentermine has been found to be an MAO inhibitor which may explain why it causes heart valve proplems Science News article describing the rise and fall of phen/fen and Redux.

sibutramine

A new drug recently approved in the US is a lipase inhibitor that prevents the digestion of fat.

There is a risk in taking drugs to lose weight.

aminophyline and cellulite

hope

DIETS AND HEALTH

NYTIMES series

 

• Paul Reisberg preisberg@wellesley.edu
• Chemistry Department
• Date Created: September 22, 1997
• Last Modified: November 12, 1998
• Expires: August 30, 1999