The Obesity Problem.
In an attempt to counteract the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity the "eat less, move more" mantra evolved encouraging a reduction in energy intake and an increase in energy expenditure. Calorie restrictive dietary regimes have traditionally been the prescribed weight management methodology to promote a calorie deficit, however, whilst many people lose weight with this strategy in the short term, as few as 5-10% of dieters manage to maintain meaningful weight loss for 12 months or more. So what is going on?
Why do diets fail?
Historically an inability to sustain healthy eating behaviours has been blamed for these poor long term weight loss outcomes. Evidence has been accumulating, though, that normal physiological responses to calorie restriction may be the main reason weight loss tapers or is regained over the longer term. Reductions in metabolism and increases in appetite, in particular, are commonly experienced following calorie restriction and initial weight loss which present significant barriers to future weight loss.
The solution?
Managing and mitigating hunger and appetite rather than indiscriminately reducing energy intake, is emerging as an effective long term weight management strategy. This is essentially how the weight loss medication semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy), often referred to as the "skinny jab" works. By affecting particular hunger hormones these treatments reduce calorie intake promoting long term weight loss.
Whilst these medications have been hailed as a weight loss silver bullet, they are not available to everyone, they come at a cost and also may cause significant side effects.
Fortunately certain foods also have an equivalent effect on our appetite and hunger levels Therefore our food choices may be more influential in satisfying hunger than the number of calories we consume. These foods form the cornerstone of the HighSatiety diet.