Why Calories count (where weight change is concerned).

I have to add the words "where weight change is concerned", as calories have little to do with body composition or general health (unless somebody becomes morbidly obese).

From https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bz4TDaehOqMKSXZHUUVxWnl5VTQ/edit?usp=sharing

Arguments used by Calorie Denialists include:-

1) Calories don't count because the human body isn't a Bomb Calorimeter and treats different macronutrients differently.
 
100g of liquid paraffin burns in a Bomb Calorimeter, yielding 900kcals. In a human, it passes through completely undigested. Ah-ha!, I hear you saying. This proves that the Energy Balance Equation is invalid. Uh, nope!

Calories in = Calories entering mouth - Calories exiting anus

As 100% of liquid paraffin calories entering the mouth exit the anus, Calories in = 0

This is why Sam Feltham's "Smash the Fat" "experiment" is nonsense. A high percentage of the large amount of raw almonds he ate would have exited his anus incompletely chewed, undigested & unabsorbed.

See the picture above? In the late 1800's, W.O. Atwater established Atwater Factors (3.75kcals/g for digestible Carbohydrates, 4kcals/g for Proteins, 5kcals/g for Ketones, 7kcals/g for Alcohols & 9kcals/g for Fats*) using Human Calorimeters, not Bomb Calorimeters. Atwater Factors are pretty accurate.

*Fats containing different fatty acids have slightly different kcals/g. Fats containing long-chain fatty acids are 9kcals/g. Fats containing medium-chain fatty acids e.g. coconut oil are ~8kcals/g.

For more information, see Calories ...


2) Calories don't count because Dietary Efficiency varies for different macronutrients.

Uh, nope! The Heat Power generated by the body is regulated by a NFB loop involving the Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Thyroid Axis, also Uncoupling Proteins (UCP's), also shivering, so as to maintain a body temperature of 37°C ±3°C. If this wasn't the case, different amounts & types of foods (also, changes in ambient temperature & clothing) would cause large variations in body temperature resulting in death, as the enzymes in our bodies function correctly over a limited range of temperatures.

Heat Power generated by the body (W) = Temperature difference between the body & ambient (°C) divided by Thermal resistance between the body & ambient (°C/W)

∴ Dietary Efficiency is irrelevant.

Lies, damned lies and statistics, part n+1. Riera-Crichton et al.

In Macronutrients and obesity: Revisiting the calories in, calories out framework, the conclusion is:-
"Our structural VAR results suggest that, on the margin, a 1% increase in carbohydrates intake yields a 1.01 point increase in obesity prevalence over 5 years while an equal percent increase in fat intake decreases obesity prevalence by 0.24 points."

So, carbohydrates are fattening but fat is slimming, eh? I declare shenanigans! Two can play at that game.

In Effect of Dietary Protein Content on Weight Gain, Energy Expenditure, and Body Composition During Overeating, Bray et al increased kcals by 40% by adding Fat grams. Carb grams didn't change. Protein grams changed a bit. ∴ Protein %E & Carb %E decreased by ~29%. %E means "as a percentage of total Energy".

Weight (lean body mass + body fat) increased as Fat kcals increased ± some interpersonal variation.

From Fig. 6.

_
 _Decreased P %E & C %E result in increased weight.
∴ Increased P %E & C %E result in decreased weight.

∴ Fat is fattening, but Protein & Carbohydrate is slimming! Q.E.D.

Do you see what's going on? Here's a summary:-

Diet contains A, B and C.
The amount of A increases, but the amounts of B and C remain constant.
A%E increases, but B%E and C%E decrease.  

In Riera-Crichton et al, A = Carbohydrate, B = Fat and C = Protein.
In Bray et al, A = Fat, B = Carbohydrate and C = Protein.

Back to black, CIAB, pharmaceutical drug deficiencies & nerds.

First, a song by someone who should be alive, but isn't...

The above video was inspired by a Facebook friend who had an accident with Schwartzkopf black hair dye and spent ages getting the stains off her skin. You know who you are!

I may have mentioned that nutrient deficiencies can adversely affect mental (and/or other) function. Nowadays, many people live on a diet of Crap-In-A-Bag (CIAB). There's just enough essential amino acids (EAAs), essential fatty acids (EFAs), minerals & vitamins to keep their bodies alive. However, Alive ≠ Working properly.

To compensate for one (or more) nutrient deficiencies, many people are prescribed one (or more) pharmaceutical drugs to tweak how their brains work e.g. fluoxetine, citalopram/escitalopram, venlafaxine, quetiapine, risperidone, valproate etc. There are no pharmaceutical drug deficiencies!

There are people who suffer from mental (and/or other) illnesses, despite having diets & lifestyles that provide sufficient amounts of all nutrients. This post isn't about them. There are people who suffer from depression due to traumatic & inescapable events/situations. This post isn't about them, either.

Finally, nerds! We nerds love to compile information. For an interesting interview with a top compiler of useful information, see Examine's Supplement Goals Reference Guide.

For an excellent article with a mere 148 references, see Why Calories Count. To sum up:-

Where body weight is concerned, calories count (but don't bother trying to count them).
Where body composition is concerned, partitioning counts.
Where health is concerned, macronutrient ratios, EFAs, minerals, vitamins & lifestyles count.

N.B. Poor health can adversely affect body weight and/or body composition, by increasing appetite and/or by adversely affecting partitioning.

Continued on Chow on chow, Parkinson's Law, two ways of doing something, and love.