Many dietary advisers recommend to count calories to lose weight. While it might have a thriving short-term effect, the long-term effect might be devastating. Why is this the case?
When we restrict calories through dieting, the body responds by activating a series of biological adaptations that make it extremely difficult to sustain weight loss over the long term. This might result into:
1. Increased Hunger Hormones: When we cut calories, the body senses this as a state of deprivation. In response, it increases the production of hunger hormones like ghrelin, which stimulate appetite and drive us to seek out and consume more food.
2. Slowed Metabolism: As a protective mechanism, the body also slows down its metabolic rate when faced with calorie restriction. This means the body burns fewer calories at rest, making it harder to create the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
3. Adaptive Thermogenesis: The body can also decrease the number of calories burned during physical activity and other thermogenic processes, further hampering weight loss efforts.
4. Neurological Adaptations: Calorie restriction can also trigger changes in the brain's reward and pleasure centers, making us crave high-calorie, palatable foods even more strongly.
These biological adaptations evolved to ensure our survival during times of food scarcity. However, in the modern environment of abundant, calorie-dense foods, these same adaptations work against us, making it extremely challenging to maintain weight loss through traditional calorie-restrictive dieting alone.
According to Dr. Andrew Jenkinson, a general surgeon specializing in Bariatric and Laparoscopic procedures, successful weight management requires addressing the underlying biological drivers of appetite and metabolism, not just focusing on calorie balance. Individualized approaches that account for each person's unique physiological responses are more likely to be effective in the long run.