Ramesh says, “We learn a lot about calorie intake. Curious to know do you have any thoughts about Jason Fund or David Ludwig’s work around hormonal theory of obesity, specifically a theory that weight gain loss has nothing to do with calories but everything to do with the hormones that are invoked or not evoked by the foods we’re eating? Do you believe someone can eat a calorie surplus and lose weight if their diet is optimized for insulin response?”
Chris: No. I don’t believe those theories. I think calories still do matter. I don’t think it’s as simple as calories in and calories out, and I don’t believe that a calorie is a calorie no matter what food that it comes from. But I also believe that the weight of the evidence suggests that calories still make a difference, and when you look at diets like Paleo, low carb, and keto, they generally lead to a spontaneous reduction of calorie intake, which is probably why they’re effective for weight loss, especially the higher protein diets because protein tends to be he most satiating of all of the macronutrients, which tends to lead to a spontaneous calorie reduction, and that’s part of what causes the weight loss.