Peak Human - Unbiased Nutrition Info for Optimum Health, Fitness & Living

Part 202 - Stephan Guyenet, PhD on Why Do Humans Overeat?

Sep 12, 2023

Obesity researcher Stephan Guyenet discusses the brain's influence on food intake and energy expenditure. He emphasizes the importance of whole foods and lower calorie density. Fiber is not essential, and there's no benefit in excess nutrient intake. Genetic susceptibility plays a role in obesity, but it also depends on the environment. The podcast also explores altering the environment, avoiding dietary tribes, and the need for unbiased information in nutrition.

01:26:32

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Episode guests

Stephan Guyenet

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Quick takeaways

The brain's regulatory systems are designed for an ancestral environment, not the modern food environment, which contributes to overeating and obesity.

Avoiding overconsumption involves recognizing that hunger and satiety are just a fraction of the reasons we consume calories and stop eating.

Eating a diet of omnivorous whole foods with lower calorie density can lead to feeling fuller with fewer calories.

Fiber is not an essential nutrient, but prioritizing a nutrient-to-energy ratio in the diet is crucial for maintaining optimal health.

Deep dives

The role of the brain in body fatness

The brain plays a central role in determining eating behavior, physical activity, and body fatness. It contains Regulatory systems that impact our food intake, and it is important to recognize the link between the brain and body fatness.

Introduction

3min

Models of Obesity and Overeating

27min

Factors Contributing to Overeating

7min

Understanding Calorie Density and Its Impact on Fullness

4min

Understanding the Nuance of Fats for Weight Loss

2min

Physiological Factors in Weight Gain

20min

Heuristics for a Good Diet

19min

Changing Environment and Avoiding Dietary Tribes

5min

Stephan J. Guyenet, Ph.D. is an obesity researcher and health writer whose work ties together neuroscience, physiology, evolutionary biology, and nutrition to offer explanations and solutions for our global weight problem. He received a B.S. in biochemistry at the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. in neurobiology at the University of Washington. He is the author of the popular health website, Whole Health Source, and is a frequent speaker on topics of obesity, metabolism, and nutrition.

https://www.stephanguyenet.com/about-stephan-guyenet/

BUY THE MEAT NosetoTail.org Preorder the film here: http://indiegogo.com/projects/food-lies-post

SHOW NOTES:

(11:16) Our brains determine our food intake and regulate our energy expenditure, in a way that works best in our ancestral environment, but not in our modern environment.
(24:33) We consume calories for many reasons, hunger being just one of them. Likewise, satiety is just one of many reasons we stop eating.
(34:40) As a rule of thumb, eat a diet of omnivorous whole foods that are lower in calorie density.
(49:56) Fiber is not an essential nutrient.
(58:35) Nutrient-to-energy is important to health, but once you have adequate intake, there’s not much benefit in taking in more.
(1:04:46) Most people in the US are more susceptible to obesity than others. Whether or not they actually become obese comes down to the environment they choose.
(1:15:31) Blood pressure, on a genetic level, doesn’t typically change as one gets older.

BUY THE MEAT NosetoTail.org Preorder the film here: http://indiegogo.com/projects/food-lies-post Film site: http://FoodLies.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FoodLies Follow along: http://twitter.com/FoodLiesOrg http://instagram.com/food.lies http://facebook.com/FoodLiesOrg

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