Ask Dr. Carolle

You wrote that you are 45 lbs overweight and have been really hungry.

Maybe you are eating the wrong kind of food. Time and again, we have heard that to loose weight, we should cut down on fat and eat lots of carbohydrates. Currently, the amount of carbohydrates consumed in an average diet consists of more than two-thirds of our daily food intake.

Accordingly, people trying to lose weight are consuming more carbohydrates and cutting down their fat intake.  But according Morisson C. Bethea, MD, the author of Sugar Busters: Cut Sugar to Trim Fat, and Robert C. Atkins, M.D. the author of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, and others, if we could break the sugar habit, we would loose weight and feel great!

Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, and weight gain are closely related. The pancreas is a gland located behind the stomach. It secretes the hormones insulin and glucagon that play a role in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism.

The role of insulin is to direct glucose into the cells for immediate needs or to convert glucose so that it can be stored in the muscles and the liver.  It appears that the type and amount of carbohydrates ingested affect the rate of sugar absorption and the release of insulin in the blood.

Simple carbohydrates are quickly absorbed resulting in high blood-sugar levels and high amounts of insulin. These carbohydrate have what is called a high glycemic index (HGI). They include table sugar, white flour pastries, ice cream, honey, cakes, molasses, white rice, corn products, white flour pasta, vegetables such as carrots and beets, and fruits such as raisins, pineapple, banana, and watermelon.

Complex carbohydrates are slowly absorbed resulting in low blood-sugar levels and low amounts of insulin. These carbohydrates have what is called a low glycemic index (LGI). They include fruit such as plums, mangos, apricots, grapes, peaches, and oranges; unrefined whole or cracked grains, whole-grain pasta and breads, nuts, peas, beans, and sweet potatoes.

Since the body can only store a small amount of glucose at a time, all excess has to be converted to fat in the liver which is then transported to fat cells for storage. The role of insulin in weight gain is seen through the blocking action of lipase, an enzyme needed for the breakdown of stored fat into fuel.

If we would eliminate refined sugar and eat simple carbohydrates in a "limited amount," our bodies would then go to our stored fat areas when we need the long-term energy to keep going. The result is weight loss. Essentially, what happens is that our craving for refined sugars and simple carbohydrates dissipates and we consume less calories.

According to Dr. Atkins, if we could limit the amount of carbohydrate intake, we could eat as much fat and protein as we want and still lose weight, maintaining the loss as long as we stick with it. And those with abnormal lipid profiles will improve their lipid levels.

But, the American diet mostly consists of foods made from refined sugars and simple carbohydrates—they taste good, are readily available, and are very affordable to the average person. The immediate benefit is that they are readily absorbed by the body and used quickly for energy.

To put it succintly, people are simply addicted to sugar. Unfortunately, in a few hours, upon ingesting those high glycemic carbohydrates, our bodies will be craving more food. And for some of us, we become overweight or obese.

As a doctor, I am usually reluctant to give credence to new theories especially when they go against everything that I have been taught. How could I recommend to a patient who is obese that they just quit eating refined sugars and simple carbohydrates and eat a limited amount of complex carbohydrates, eat all the fat and protein they want, and they would become!?

But it seems to be working for many of my patients. Perhaps you should give it a try.

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