Gary Taubes has done it again. He published another op-ed article on obesity and diet and insulin response. The problem is that Gary Taubes knows enough to be dangerous. He is a amazing journalist – an award winning journalist, in fact – so is able to write very persuasive manuscripts that sound like they are based solely on science when in fact they are primarily a product of his own conjecture. He is NOT a scientist and he continues to misinterpret data, inappropriately extrapolate his own conclusions from legitimate studies, and interject his own speculative opinions. In some respects he’s on the right track, but has developed his own “anti-sugar”/”anti processed foods” agenda that skews his perspective and narrows his focus. I am not a fan of excessive sugar in the diet. As a diabetes educator and a nutrition expert I am well aware of the effects of a diet that is high in sugar and/or processed foods, and I don’t advocate it. I tell my patients 
and clients “the closer to the tree the better” when it comes to the foods we eat. It’s not just that people in the US are eating too much sugar these days; it’s also about what they are NOT eating. There are tremendous benefits to be gained from eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The refined sugars and grains are usurping these healthy foods, especially the vegetables. People don’t eat nearly enough vegetables with all of their valuable vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients. And the portions of most foods are absolutely excessive. (The number one comment about American food made to me by peopel from other countries is about the shockingly large portions served and consumed in the US.) Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Mr. Taubes is intentionally trying to throw people off track. In fact I suspect he honestly believes what he is sharing, and that his intentions are good. But that doesn’t change the fact that many of his statements and conclusions are wrong, or speculative at best.
In his recent article for News Week magazine, Why the Campaign to Stop America’s Obesity Crisis Keeps Failing, he does his usual trick of weaving scientific facts with conjecture and opinion. It all sounds logical. It get’s people riled up and speaking out against “the anti-obesity establishment” (whoever that is… he doesn’t actually bother to fully define this. But then, isn’t that one of the oldest tricks in the book to get people to align themselves with you… form an alliance against a common enemy?) Mr. Taubes states that the old adage of energy in vs. energy out is not valid, and obesity is a much more complicated equation that includes the influence of hormones. I agree. But then again, those of us who are truly on the front lines of the nation’s obesity epidemic – those of us dealing with real people and science, not those who are removed from the human faces of obesity – we know very well (and have for a long time) that weight management isn’t simply a matter of counting calories. Or, as I often tell my patients who are engineers (the ones who get frustrated that the numbers don’t add up) the equation does work, but we don’t know all of the variables. Also, the human body is a biological system; and biological systems adapt – which means the variables are always changing. As an endocrine geek, I agree that hormones have a lot to do with the body’s response to food and lifestyle, but he has over-simplified the interactions of food and exercise (I’ll address that more thoroughly in a future article)… and he has completely ignored the fact that STRESS has a big influence on hormone balance. Many medical anthropologists believe the effects of stress explain why there is fatness in populations even during economically difficult times. It’s not unique to the USA… the same happened in Cuba during the Cuban Missile crisis when the population was starving due to restricted trade to Cuba. This wasn’t associated with too much refined food. Stress has significant affects on hormones and energy balance that go far beyond 
the emotional eating that some individuals do when stressed. Taubes also failed to consider the fact that we are largely a sleep-deprived nation – which also significantly influences hormonal balance. Research has shown that inadequate sleep directly effects weight gain.
Contrary to Gary Taube’s accusations, many nutrition and exercise experts really do know what needs to be done to defeat obesity, but insurance won’t pay for it so people aren’t coming to see the experts. Or they will come for the 3 visits per year that insurance pays for…which even the experts know is not nearly enough time to really help people establish healthy habits. Also, most exercise experts agree hands down with Mr. Taubes that the oft recommended 150 min of exercise/week is too low to promote fitness and overall health. This was stated by several experts who presented at the SCAN sports nutrition symposium I attended last month. Exercise IS beneficial in treating and preventing obesity.. it just has to be ENOUGH exercise, the right kind of exercise, and at a high enough intensity to make a difference. There is also new research that it’s not just the exercise people are NOT doing that contributes to health problems, but also all the sitting they ARE doing. The average American now spends more hours in a day sitting than sleeping. Research suggest that if part of that time was spent standing (not even walking), health would improve. The endocrine (hormone) system is a spider web of feedback loops for these chemical messengers of the body. There are countless points at which energy balance can be disrupted along hormonal pathways. Hormones from the brain, thyroid, gut, and adrenals (by the kidneys) all influence each other and affect how energy is used, produced and stored in the liver, muscles and other organs. There are numerous factors that can, and do influence all of these hormones. So, to zero in on a few dietary factors and blame them for being the sole factors that influence hormones to cause the body to store fat is just wrong. A poorly balanced diet with too many refined sugars and grains may be a piece of the puzzle, but the scope of our nation’s obesity problem is so much bigger than the narrow focus which Gary Taubes repeatedly blames. Obesity in the US is a multifaceted problem and is going to take an open mind and broad perspective to adequately address the many contributing factors.
I’ll get back to you as to why Mr. Taubes understanding of insulin and fat storage is “half a bubble off.” Hint: it doesn’t work the same under all conditions or across all populations.
**For more insights about sugar in our diets see my previous article Sugar Over Kill, uncovering the truth about sugar in our diets.
