The study shows that obese people using a weight loss strategy called the low-glycemic-load diet lost nearly 13 pounds over a year and a half -- but only if their bodies secreted high amounts of insulin in response to sugars.
Obese high-insulin secretors who tried a low-fat diet lost only 2.5 pounds. On the other hand, people who were low-insulin secretors lost the same amount of weight -- a little more than 4 pounds after a year and a half -- on low-glycemic-load and low-fat diets.
"The low-glycemic-load diet was effective for a lot of the individuals who were high-insulin secretors and who previously had challenges losing weight and keeping it off," study researcher Cara B. Ebbeling, PhD, co-director of obesity research at Children's Hospital Boston, tells WebMD.
So, how does one know whether or not they are a high-insulin secretor? Or does it just come back to trial and error, which is what we all seem to have to do anyway?
I am a high insulin person. My doc did blood tests for diabetes and it came back "pre-daibetes" or in other words, i have too high of an amount of insulin considering the amount of sugar that is there. The reason for the high insulin is that my insulin has to worker harder than most to keep my sugars low/normal. Therefore, my insulin works less and less efficiently, leading to diabetes. That is why low glycemic foods work well for diabetics, pcos, and pre-diabetes people. Now comes the problem of a low glycemic diet...i love my carbs. But i do find i lose more on weeks that i had less carbs, even if i had a total of more calories. Hmmmm.
But to sum it up, your doc can tell you about your insulin with some simple blood tests Jill. I have pcos (polycystic ovaries) too, which is what my doc was actually checking for. Most women that have been over 250 pounds most of their life do have it, but 80% dont know it and dont have a doc that knows enough about it to test for it.
I have been overweight since I was 5 and morbidly obese since puberty (I was an early bloomer and was wearing a bra and began menstruating at 9 or 10). I've had severe TOM issues from the start, so my hormones have obviously been off-kilter from the beginning.
I hadn't even heard of PCOS/Insulin resistance until I moved to Wisconsin two and a half years ago. My new doctor suspected it right away and a glucose tolerance test confirmed it (technically not PCOS, but definitely IR). You fast 12 hours, and they take your blood sugar, then give you a super sweet drink and test your blood sugar after about 30 minutes.
My blood sugar had always been normal after the typical 12 hours of fasting done for most testing, so my blood sugar problems went undetected. Now I'm on metformin, which does seem to make a difference.
I've only recently learned that I can control my hunger much better by following a low-glycemic food plan.
I'm impressed that the research mentioned looked at the difference between who was more successful and who was not. So much of the research assumes that there everyone reacts the same way to any given weight loss approach. It's good to see one recognizing what we have known all along, that there are a lot of variables affecting what works for one person and not another.
I'm impressed that the research mentioned looked at the difference between who was more successful and who was not. So much of the research assumes that there everyone reacts the same way to any given weight loss approach. It's good to see one recognizing what we have known all along, that there are a lot of variables affecting what works for one person and not another.
Colleen -- You are so right about this. And it's not just true for weight loss, but anything! I always tell my research design students to pay attention to the samples in research studies, as that is such an important piece of the puzzle.
I wish a basic research methodologies or research design class were taught in high school, possible even as a requirement. I know it might be hard to make it understandable for all students, but it kills me when I see amateurs and "experts" alike leaping to illogical conclusions based on slim research. And usually the information is second hand at best, as the average person isn't reading the professional journal articles, they're reading reports of the results in popular magazines.
My hepatologist had explained to me that since I have Insulin Resistance and PCOS that I would need to eat a lower glycemic index of foods to be able to lose wt. He was right. For me this meant doing low-carb. I'm now at goal and calorie counting and still try to keep my carbs below 100 a day. I truly believe that losing wt. isn't as simple as "one thing works for everyone". I do know that I reached my goal eating an average of 2200 calories a day and 35 carbs daily on Atkins. Now that I eat closer to 100 carbs a day, I can't go over 1600 calories without gaining. Some people wonder why I switched after being able to lose so well on Atkins and maintained at such a high calorie level on it. I explain that I was sick of eating tons of meat, eggs and cheese and I wanted something that I felt I could do for a lifetime, even if it meant a reduction in calories. Plus , my body was definitely needing more fiber and I wanted some dang bread. LOL.
I wish a basic research methodologies or research design class were taught in high school, possible even as a requirement. I know it might be hard to make it understandable for all students, but it kills me when I see amateurs and "experts" alike leaping to illogical conclusions based on slim research. And usually the information is second hand at best, as the average person isn't reading the professional journal articles, they're reading reports of the results in popular magazines.
... and the research reports are written often by people who do not understand the research themselves! In my class I make my students write about research articles that appear in the news. One of the main things I want them to learn is that articles in the news often don't give enough information to make a "reasonable assessment" of the research.
I also wish all students could take a course like that. It seems that more training in scientific literacy would help everyone be able to better navigate through what often seem to be contradictory study results, or overly hyped study results...
I took one of those classes as part of my major...now I look at research studies so much more critically.
With the ever-increasing use of science to justify all kinds of actions/decisions in modern times, everyone should know how to critically read a scientific study, analyze the methods used in that study, and arrive at independent conclusions whether they match the reported conclusions or not.
While it's true that some researchers have agendas, the way much research is designed to be falsified helps reduce this problem. But I think Mandalinn and I were commenting as much if not MORE on the reporting of research in the general press. After all, even the best studies make little sense if poorly reported. So we all need to know what issues to look for and what questions to ask!
I agree we can't all find the original research -- which is unfortunate. But in the internet age, more and more of it is available.
As for listening to my body... for me that would often be a bad idea, as my body does not want to exercise and craves foods that don't help me maintain my new, svelt figure!
Your biology and your diet
