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From Starvation to Obesity

Hunger and Satiety

Man evolved by being able to survive periods of no food as long as two or three days. Because of insulin he was able to store enough energy to continue to forage for food. Because of glucagon, he was able to utilize the energy his or her insulin had stored. There were no fast food restaurants on the corners that were not there. This wasn't optional or even trendy. This was the reality of the human biochemistry and the world before fast food. When evolving man would find food he would eat, insulin would go to work and store this energy. Two to four hours later, his or her glucagon would start to utilize this stored energy, and would continue to do so until he found more food. He did not starve, even if he only ate every second or third day. It takes longer than three days without food to starve!

Nutritionally Bereft Commercial Food

In this day of fast food on every corner, most people don't go three hours without food, much less three days. The problem with the available food today is that it is so nutritionally bereft that most people are "starving" for proper nutrition while they consume many many calories that they don't need. If these people were calorically starving we wouldn't have an epidemic of obesity and diabetes. If people today truly knew satiety, they would not need to eat eighty five meals a day -and have the blatant audacity to even think to try to market a diet plan ill-conceived of the nefarious idea that you can actually lose weight by eating multiple small meals all day long. The problem with being nutritionally starving is that you remain hungry all the time. You end up eating all day long, never getting satisfied, typically leading to obesity first and disease second.

Two Types of Starvation

Caloric Starvation

Caloric starvation results from the absolute lack of calories. Truly thin and emaciated. No large energy stores in fat.

Back to our familiar table again ...

fuel reserves in a typical 70-kg man
OrganAvailable energy (kcal)

glucose or
glycogen
triacylglycerols(fat) mobilizable
proteins
blood60450
liver400450400
brain800
muscle120045024000
adipose(fat)80135,00040
from Stryer Biochemistry ...page 771

The following is a quote from Stryer Biochemistry 4th Edition page 775

"A typical well-nourished 70-kg man has fuel reserves of some 1600 kcal in glycogen, 24,000 kcal in mobilizable protein and 135,000 kcal in triacylglycerols (see table 30-1). The energy need for a 24-hour period ranges from about 1600 kcal in the basal state to 6000 kcal, depending on the extent of activity. Thus, stored fuels suffice to meet caloric needs in starvation for one to three months."

As is obvious from the above, true caloric starvation is rare, especially here in America. It is however, not so rare in other parts of the world.

Nutritional Starvation

Nutritional starvation results from lack of adequate nutrition and is very common in this age of commercial farming. Foods grown in artificially fertilized dead soil result in near total loss of nutrients, especially the micro-nutrients that used to be found in the topsoil prior to this age of commercial farming. Humans require adequate nutrition and our bodies will tell us to keep eating until we get it. The caloric burden of our commercial food production is huge and the nutritional value all but non-existant. This results in the consumption of thousands of unnecessary calories daily and the epidemic of obesity we have today.

Nutritional Starvation Results in Obesity

Most obesity is caused by nutritional starvation. You get overweight because you are hungry. When you are hungry all the time, you eat all the time. This results in a massive excess of calories even though you never achieve adequate nutrition.

You're Hungry -But Not Starving

Hunger is as much a part of good balanced nutrition as is satiety. Too much of either is not good. As you can see from the above, while caloric starvation is rare -hunger is very common. Hunger probably first occurs when our stomachs empty, usually about thirty minutes after we eat. If this hunger is ignored, it usually goes away quickly. About two or three hours after a meal, our insulin level goes down and our glucagon level rises. It is not unusual to feel hunger at this point. If this hunger is ignored, you will usually enter a glucagon state of energy utilization, where you get very productive and typically do your best thinking. This can be easily extended, even enhanced by continuing to ignore your hunger until the next day. You won't starve and you will get much more done by staying in a state of energy utilization (glucagon) rather than eating again and going into a state of energy storage, (insulin) with its attendant lethargy, depression and drowsiness.

Glugagon and Insulin

For more on glucagon and insulin follow the link below:
read more

Yin and Yang
It's All About Balance

Hunger and satiety, insulin and glucagon, yin and yang -too much of either is not good. As much as man needs to be satisfied from a good organic meal, he also needs to feel hunger. Too much insulin and you have the epidemic of diseases we see today. Just looking at the current health problems, it is clearly evident there is way too much insulin floating around and almost no glucagon. The problem is compounded by fast food and commercial farming which produces nutritionally bereft food that yields a very low level of satiety and almost constant hunger.

What To Do

  • Improve your satiety to reduce your hunger -ie eat only Organic Whole foods.
  • Accept hunger as part of man's human biochemical energy metabolism cycle, which it is. Part of everyday should be spent hungry.
  • For every hour spent in an insulin state, spend at least one or preferably two hours in a glucagon state.
  • Reduce the quantity of food ingested especially if it is from commercial sources.
  • Also reduce the number of meals per day to as close to one as possible. You won't starve and your glucagon will go to work reducing fat deposits. You will have much more energy and much more productivity.
  • Thanks for your time and your attention.
    Copyright © John Mericle M.D. D.A.B.R. 2000-2011 All Rights Reserved

    Protected by Copyscape Online Plagiarism Tool



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