A review of the carbohydrate–insulin model of obesity
Abstract
The carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity theorizes that diets high in carbohydrate are particularly fattening due to their propensity to elevate insulin secretion. Insulin directs the partitioning of energy toward storage as fat in adipose tissue and away from oxidation by metabolically active tissues and purportedly results in a perceived state of cellular internal starvation. In response, hunger and appetite increases and metabolism is suppressed, thereby promoting the positive energy balance associated with the development of obesity. Several logical consequences of this carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity were recently investigated in a pair of carefully controlled inpatient feeding studies whose results failed to support key model predictions. Therefore, important aspects of carbohydrate-insulin model have been experimentally falsified suggesting that the model is too simplistic. This review describes the current state of the carbohydrate-insulin model and the implications of its recent experimental tests.
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Important aspects of the carbohydrate-insulin model have failed experimental testing.
“Unfortunately, important aspects of the carbohydrate-insulin model have failed experimental interrogation48 and, for all practical purposes, “a calorie is a calorie” when it comes to body fat and energy expenditure differences between controlled isocaloric diets varying in the ratio of carbohydrate to fat49.”
From Maintenance of Lost Weight and Long-Term Management of Obesity (2018) · cites this paper as [48]
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- Authors
- Hall, K. D.
- Affiliations
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hall, K D
- ORCID
- Hall, K D
- Venue
- European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
- Published
- 2017-01-11
- Volume
- 71
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 323-326
- ISSN
- 0954-3007 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-5640
- OpenAlex
- W2572185284
- Cited by
- 127
- References
- 11
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 9
- FWCI
- 2.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- erratum (2017-05-03)
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Diet and metabolism studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diet, Metabolism, and Disease
- Keywords
- dietary carbohydrates, insulin secretion, energy allocation, fat deposition, appetite, hunger, energy balance, model falsification, obesity
- MeSH terms
- Insulin Secretion, Body Weight, Diet, Dietary Carbohydrates, Energy Metabolism, Humans, Insulin, Models, Biological, Obesity, Adiposity
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