Many diets promote low-carbohydrate
foods for weight loss. These diets claim
that carbohydrates stimulate insulin
secretion, which promotes body fat. So,
the logic goes, reducing carbohydrates will
reduce body fat.
As a matter of fact, carbohydrates do
stimulate insulin secretion immediately
after they’re consumed, but this is a
normal process that allows carbohydrates
to be absorbed into cells.
People who gain weight on highcarbohydrate
diets do so because they’re
eating excess calories. Excess calories
from any source will cause weight gain.
Furthermore, some low-carbohydrate diets
restrict grains, fruits and vegetables and
emphasize protein and dairy products,
which can be high-calorie and loaded with
saturated fat and cholesterol.
Recent studies confirm that the most
important factor in weight change is total
calories, not where they come from.
