This product is free for those who attended FNCE® 2018.
Conventional treatment for obesity, founded on the First Law of Thermodynamics, assumes that all calories are alike, and that to lose weight one must simply "eat less and move more." However, this prescription rarely succeeds over the long term. According to an alternative approach, the metabolic state of fat cells plays a key role in determining body weight. High intakes of processed carbohydrate raise insulin levels and program fat cells to store too many calories, leaving too few for the rest of the body. Consequently, hunger increases and metabolic rate slows in the body's attempt to conserve energy. From this perspective, conventional calorie-restricted, low-fat diets amount to symptomatic treatment, destined to fail for most people. Instead, a dietary strategy aiming to lower insulin secretion promises to increase the effectiveness of long-term weight management and chronic disease prevention. This session will review the scientific support for, and controversies surrounding, a carbohydrate-modified diet for the treatment of obesity. In addition, translation of these principles to a family-based weight management clinic will be considered.