Weight Loss Myths: Why Counting Calories and Organic Foods Are Not the Key to Weight Loss

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Weight Loss Myths: Why Counting Calories and Organic Foods Are Not the Key to Weight Loss
Weight Loss Myths: Why Counting Calories and Organic Foods Are Not the Key to Weight Loss
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When it comes to weight loss, we are bombarded with different types of diets, all promising to help us lose weight. Cutting carbs from your diet, counting calories, and genetic profiling… It all confuses you as it is full of conflicting weight loss advice

Geneticist Dr. Giles Yeo debunks some common weight loss myths.

Myth 1 - Counting calories is all you need to do

The basic truth about dieting is true - to lose weight, you need to burn more energy than you take in calories.

Unfortunately, calories aren't an accurate way to know how much you're taking in, says the geneticist.

The calories written on the package are not the same as the calories you can actually get from the food, which is something that varies greatly depending on how the food is processed.

For example, 100g of sweet corn and 100g of corn made into a tortilla have the same calories, but your body absorbs much more of them.

The time of food intake is also important.

You can eat exactly the same amount of food for lunch or dinner, but your body is more likely to store the calories from the later meal as fat because your metabolism is slower at night.

"So don't blindly count calories," says Dr. Yeo.

“Boring and difficult, eating a little bit of everything is still the right answer,” he adds.

Myth 2 - Our bodies should eat the same way our ancestors did

One of the biggest weight loss trends is the "Paleo Diet," which claims we should eat like our hunter-gatherer ancestors.

This means eating lean meats, fish, non-starchy fruits and vegetables, and avoiding "new" foods like dairy, grains, and sugar. The theory is that diet is compatible with our genetic makeup.

However, this is not true, claims Dr. Yeo.

“Humans did not evolve to eat only meat, we evolved to eat whatever was available.”

Cereals are not a relatively new addition to our diet. There is evidence that we ate them 30,000 years ago.

And even if you follow an animal-based diet, the meat you buy at the supermarket is nothing like what our ancestors consumed.

This doesn't mean you won't lose weight on the diet, but Dr. Yeo believes this is largely due to its high protein content. Protein is filling and has lower available calories.

Myth 3 - You need to shed fat cells

When you eat, you don't actually lose fat cells. They just shrink. It's good for you because of the way you look in the mirror because fat cells don't have an infinite capacity. When you get fat, they swell like a balloon until they're full.

Any subsequent fat has to go somewhere, so it ends up in places it's not meant to be, like the liver or muscles. This affects the function of these tissues and organs.

"The body is poisoned by fat," says Dr. Yeo.

That's why liposuction is "one of the dumbest things you can do," he adds. When you remove fat cells, you reduce the body's ability to safely store fat and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Myth 4 - Genetic tests hold all the answers

Genes definitely play a big role in our size and shape, says Dr. Yeo.

We now know that there are more than 100 weight-related genes, influencing everything from how hungry you feel to how fast you burn calories.

No wonder there's a boom in genetic tests that promise to give you a leg up on the weight battle by offering personalized diet advice.

“I believe that the 'perfect diet' for each of us is somewhere in our genes,” says Dr. Yeo.

Unfortunately, however, the expert thinks we are a long way from getting this information through a test. Dr Yeo points out that the tests only check a handful of genes for any one trait and are not sophisticated enough to explain how our genes interact with the environment in different ways.

Myth 5 - You must eat clean foods

Ignore those women extolling the virtues of "pure organic foods" and detoxing the body.

"There is no scientific evidence to support the purported benefits of detoxification," says Dr. Yeo.

You don't need to buy expensive "cleanse" regimens for the simple reason that your liver is already detoxifying for free!

In fact, some "clean diets" can even make it harder for the liver to work.

“Fruit juice has a lot of sugar in it, and the fact that it's 'natural' doesn't make it any better for you than refined soda products,” he says.

If you're rejecting serious amounts of sugar, you're actually putting extra pressure on your liver.

It's ironic considering one of the claims for the juice's cleansing properties is that it gives the liver a break.

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  • diets
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