By limiting only the caloric content of the diet, we will not lose too many unnecessary kilograms – American research confirms. This is related to the natural counterbalancing mechanism that causes our body to reduce physical activity in response to a reduced energy supply.
Artykuł na ten temat publikuje pismo American Journal of Physiology — Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
According to Dr. Judy Cameron of the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon, who participated in the study, doctors often advise their obese patients to reduce the caloric content of their daily meals. Our research shows, however, that diet alone is unlikely to cause significant weight loss. To achieve this goal, it must be combined with physical exercise – emphasizes the researcher.
Her team experimented with 18 female rhesus monkeys who had been on a high-fat, calorie-rich diet for many years. After some time, they were switched to the usual food for monkeys, but reduced by 30%. calorific value. For comparison, 3 females were switched to a regular diet but trained to walk for an hour on a treadmill each day. Over the next month, their body weight and level of physical activity were checked (using a monitor attached to the collar).
Surprisingly, at the end of the month, the monkeys were not found to have lost any significant weight. However, there has been a marked change in their physical activity. Soon after starting a low-calorie diet, their natural levels of activity began to decline. And when their calories were further reduced in the following month, it decreased even more, explains Dr. Elinor Sullivan, who participated in the study. Meanwhile, the monkeys exercising on the treadmill, although on a normal diet, clearly lost weight.
These studies prove that our body has a natural counterbalancing mechanism that begins to conserve energy in response to caloric restriction, researchers believe. Since animals and humans do not always get enough food, the body has developed a strategy to help deal with this. This mechanism is also largely responsible for the contemporary obesity epidemic in the world, as currently the inhabitants of most countries do not suffer periods of hunger, and on the contrary – they overeat because of easy access to caloric food. (PAP)