Taubes's "inescapable" conclusions
1. Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease or any other
chronic disease of civilization.
2. The problem is the carbohydrates in the diet, their effect on insulin secretion, and thus the
hormonal regulation of homeostasis—the entire harmonic ensemble of the human body. The
more easily digestible and refined the carbohydrates, the greater the effect on your health,
weight and well-being.
3. Sugars—sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup specifically—are particularly harmful, probably
because the combination of fructose and glucose simultaneously elevates insulin levels while
overloading the liver with carbohydrates.
4. Through their direct effect on insulin and blood sugar, refined carbohydrates, starches and
sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease and diabetes. They are most likely
dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and the other chronic diseases of civilization.
5. Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating, and not sedentary behavior.
6. Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter, any more than it causes a child
to grow taller. Expending more energy than we consume does not lead to long-term weight
loss; it leads to hunger.
7. Fattening and obesity are caused by an imbalance—a disequilibrium—in the hormonal
regulation of adipose tissue and fat metabolism. Fat synthesis and storage exceed the
mobilization of fat from the adipose tissue and its subsequent oxidation. We become leaner
when the hormonal regulation of fat tissue reverses this balance.
8. Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels are elevated—either
chronically or after a meal—we accumulate fat in our fat tissue. When insulin levels fall, we
release fat from our fat tissue and use it for fuel.
9. By stimulating insulin secretion, carbohydrates make us fat and ultimately cause obesity. The
fewer carbohydrates we consume, the leaner we will be.
10. By driving fat accumulation, carbohydrates also increase hunger and decrease the amount of
energy we expend in metabolism and physical activity.
chronic disease of civilization.
2. The problem is the carbohydrates in the diet, their effect on insulin secretion, and thus the
hormonal regulation of homeostasis—the entire harmonic ensemble of the human body. The
more easily digestible and refined the carbohydrates, the greater the effect on your health,
weight and well-being.
3. Sugars—sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup specifically—are particularly harmful, probably
because the combination of fructose and glucose simultaneously elevates insulin levels while
overloading the liver with carbohydrates.
4. Through their direct effect on insulin and blood sugar, refined carbohydrates, starches and
sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease and diabetes. They are most likely
dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and the other chronic diseases of civilization.
5. Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating, and not sedentary behavior.
6. Consuming excess calories does not cause us to grow fatter, any more than it causes a child
to grow taller. Expending more energy than we consume does not lead to long-term weight
loss; it leads to hunger.
7. Fattening and obesity are caused by an imbalance—a disequilibrium—in the hormonal
regulation of adipose tissue and fat metabolism. Fat synthesis and storage exceed the
mobilization of fat from the adipose tissue and its subsequent oxidation. We become leaner
when the hormonal regulation of fat tissue reverses this balance.
8. Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels are elevated—either
chronically or after a meal—we accumulate fat in our fat tissue. When insulin levels fall, we
release fat from our fat tissue and use it for fuel.
9. By stimulating insulin secretion, carbohydrates make us fat and ultimately cause obesity. The
fewer carbohydrates we consume, the leaner we will be.
10. By driving fat accumulation, carbohydrates also increase hunger and decrease the amount of
energy we expend in metabolism and physical activity.