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

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/

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.