Basal Metabolism: The Dimmer Switch

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Have you ever wondered why you can lose weight on a diet, only for it to come back with a vengeance? If you’ve blamed yourself for a lack of willpower, our guest today argues you’ve been misled. The old mantra of “eat less, move more” is failing us, and the key to understanding why lies deep within our biology.

In this episode, Jonathan is joined by Dr. Andrew Jenkinson, a bariatric surgeon and author with decades of experience in the science of metabolism. Dr. Jenkinson dismantles the calorie-counting myth and explains the powerful biological system that controls our weight: the "set point." He reveals how our modern diet and lifestyle have broken this system, but also provides a clear, science-backed path to fixing it.

Dr. Andrew Jenkinson is a consultant bariatric surgeon and the author of Why We Eat (Too Much): The New Science of Appetite.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the idea that weight loss is simply about willpower is a damaging myth.

• The science of the "weight set point" and how your brain fights to keep you at a certain weight.

• How your metabolism acts like a "dimmer switch," slowing down to prevent weight loss when you diet.

• The crucial role of hormones like leptin and insulin, and why our modern diet causes "leptin resistance" — the reason your brain can’t tell it’s full.

• How yo-yo dieting can actually raise your set point, making you heavier in the long run.

• A practical, step-by-step plan to lower your set point by changing what you eat, not just how much.

• The truth about new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and their long-term effects.

• How managing stress and improving sleep can be as important as your diet for sustainable weight management

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Timecodes

00:00 Introduction

00:20 Is gaining weight as we age inevitable?

01:38 Why ‘eat less, move more’ is a myth

03:53 Is your weight predetermined by your genes?

06:36 How your mother's experience in the womb can alter your dna

10:35 Why most diets are doomed to fail in the long term

12:16 Your brain has a weight 'set point' it tries to defend

15:27 The 'weight anchor': your body's powerful defence against weight loss

17:22 The reason you often end up heavier after a diet

19:00 A shocking study: yo-yo dieting made mice fatter than a junk food diet

21:35 The 'joker in the pack' controlling 70% of your energy burn

23:12 Your body has a hidden metabolic 'dimmer switch'

27:53 The mystery of the missing calories

32:35 Why dieting can actually raise your weight set point

34:31 The master hormone that tells your brain when you're full

36:08 The hidden reason your brain can't tell you're full

37:35 Why feeling hungry and lazy are symptoms, not causes, of obesity

39:00 The 'broken gas tank meter' analogy for weight gain

41:26 Step 1 for resetting your weight: the 30-day challenge

42:07 Why you need to stop snacking between meals

43:50 What is mindful eating and why does it matter?

46:22 Can time-restricted eating lower your set point?

48:37 The truth about new weight loss drugs like ozempic

50:28 The surprising impact of stress and sleep on your weight

51:42 The single most important thing to understand about weight loss

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