[GBSB (OP)]

Counting Calories - Blunder in Medical Science

Humans understanding of the cause of overweight and obesity are based on huge misconception. This misconception is counting calories as a method to understand and control weight of the body.
 
There is nothing wrong with the method used to determine the number of calories in food.
Counting calories is wrong method to determine how much calories is involved in the work of metabolism.
For example; an intake of 3500 kcl does not mean that there is 3500 kcl involved. Body will take only a number of calories what it needs and the rest will discard and excrete as metabolic waste.
Difference between energy intakes and energy discarded and excreted as metabolic waste is the energy involved in the work of metabolism.
The common thought is that if we are eating more than what body needs for basal metabolic rate, for thermo genesis and what the body spends through physical activity (maintenance requirement) body will automatically convert the exceeded number of calories in fat tissues.

Fact is that some energy available in food the body simply does not convert but discard and excrete as metabolic waste (mainly through digestive and urinary system).
This energy is not wasted due to imperfection of the system. It is rejected by the body. This energy was offered to the body but it was rejected by the body (because body does not need this energy) and discards and excretes as metabolic waste.
 
Even if we know how much energy is involved in the work of metabolism, still we can’t predict that exceed number of calories body will use for building fat tissues, because some converted calories (metabolized food) body excrete through skin and hair.
 
One sort of energy what body excrete is energy what body does not convert but discard and excrete mainly through digestive and urinary system and another is energy what body convert but later excrete as metabolic waste through skin and hair, (for example some people have more fat skin an/or more fat hair than another).

Before the introduction of counting calories people knew that starvation causes weight loss and that eating plenty of food led to weight gain. But they know as well, that some people eat little and they gain weight and some people can eat plenty of food and not to gain any extra weight.
Before introducing calories as a method to understand weight gain/weight loss, people simply were not sure what cause weight gain/weight loss.
After introducing “counting calories” any creative thought about the cause of obesity is stopped by explanation (pseudoscience) that is due because of positive imbalance of calories intake and calories used. (It seems that proponent of all kind of programs for weight loss simply think that metabolic waste is calorie free.)

Any creative thought about fat distribution on the human body is stopped by explanation (pseudoscience) that is due because of some gene. (For example If two people eat same amount of calories and doing same physical activity and still one person gain weight and another person does not than the simple answer is that person did not gain weight because his body discard and excrete more calories as metabolic waste then the person who gains weight.)
 
The accepted dogma “simply mater of balance” between calories intake and calories burn out is product of wrongly applying law of thermodynamics to understand what is happened with energy in living organism.

In practical term it is possible to apply the law of thermodynamics (first and second) only in close system where no energy coming in and no energy going out. That is the case with any mechanical engine.
 
In case of human body, some energy going out, like energy excreted as metabolic waste. If we try to understand what is happening with energy in human body we have to observe human body as an open system.
Applying law of thermodynamics on humans does explain nothing concerning weight gain/weight loss.

And the question is; what will happens if somebody eats more than is his maintenance requirement?
Till now the answer was that body will exceed number of calories storage as fat tissues is wrong.
Right answer is that body will excrete exceed number of calories as metabolic waste. (Body does not build fat tissues to storage energy for late use. It is reason why body builds fat tissues and we have to observe energy necessary to build and/or maintain fat tissues as part of required energy for maintenance, not as exceed energy intake.
If we want to prevent building fat mass or to get reed of existing fat mass we need to remove cause for maintain and/or for build fat mass, not restricting calories intake and/or increasing energy expenditure. To be able to remove cause for maintain and for building fat mass on the body we need first to understand reason why body need to build and/or to maintain existing fat tissues)

Counting calories as a scientific method to understand and control the weight of the body was introduced at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century and quickly accepted as unquestionable truth by medical establishment and rest of population in general.
In reality, calories are not something that is found in food. It is just a measurement of heat produced when food is burned in laboratories to dry powder ashes. In living organisms, this process (burning) never happens, because metabolic waste isn’t dry powder ashes, and it is pointless to apply the law of thermodynamics to explain the weight gain/weight loss in humans or any other species.
 
Before the end of nineteenth century, people were assuming the fact that no one knows why someone is overweight. To be heavily overweigh or obese, it was considered as something what no one can do anything about it.
After introducing the counting of calories by the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century as a “scientific” way of understanding and controlling body weight, majority of the people wrongly assumed that they know why people get overweight and obese.
 
We can see that introducing calories as a method to understand and to control the underlining mechanism of building fat on the body was not a contribution towards the progress of science, but it was the beginning of a social acceptance of abusing, ridiculing and patronizing overweight and obese people, and the beginnings of the weight loss industry.
 
The entire science of obesity and entire weight loss industry (diet and/or exercise, medications, WLS) is based on such a misconception with grave consequences for so many people.

We can’t expect any progress in human understanding about real cause of obesity as long as we think that metabolic waste is calorie free?
 
How is happened that, already one century long, “counting calories” is accepted as scientific way of understanding of fat formation on the body and in same time accepted as basic for any intervention in regulation of weight of the body, it’s behind rationale explanation. (Humans understanding cause of obesity is based on pseudoscience (irrational belief)? A belief which is born from own fear from overweight and obesity.)
 
Introducing calories as a method to understand weight gain/weight loss has the consequence that all people, from scientist to simple people think that metabolic waste is calorie free.

This kind of “science” is greatly responsible for an increase in obesity, especially in the last twenty-five years.
 
First necessary step toward understanding real cause of obesity (fat formation on the body) is to denounce “Cult of Counting Calories” as quackery.
 
P. S.
Today scientists involved in the research of obesity are using a number of tools (“highly precise instruments”) to assess energy expenditure in humans. The most common approach to calculate energy expenditure in humans is to quantify rates of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production (indirect calorimetry)..... In the end all this “scientific” work using this “highly precise instruments” to assess energy expenditure in humans are pointless concerning understanding of weight regulation by humans because people involved in research think that the metabolic waste is calorie free.

Majority of people are impressed with genetically science and easily accept  the theory that obesity is in smaller or greater extent genetically determined and that fat distribution on the body is completely genetically predetermined........?
Any discussion about scientific validity of theories about fat formation and fat distribution on the body and cause of obesity, founded by genetics scientist is pointless because those theories are invented by people who think that metabolic waste is calorie free.

Any recommendations from medical establishment and from self appointed health-obesity expert’s about treatment and/or prevention of obesity is dangerous for human health because their understanding of the cause of obesity is based on the assumption that metabolic waste is calorie free.

Any known program based on diet or exercise or diet and exercise combined is based on false knowledge about fat formation on the body.
Any known pharmaceutical invention for weight control is product of false knowledge.

Any known surgical program (weight loss surgeries) nowadays is accepted as reasonable way to treat obesity because the present “scientific” understanding about cause of fat formation on the body is based on assumption that metabolic waste is calories free. In reality every weight loss surgical intervention is product of false knowledge.

False knowledge is the great treat to human’s health and wellbeing 



http://www.freewebs.com/lukatunjic/foodwaterandair.htm

 

Luka Tunjic

“The King is naked”
Hans Christian Anderson

[rosy]

GBSB
If you want a response to this you would probably do well to repost with less exposition of why you think calories are not the answer and actually propose your alternative theory on this page rather than behind a link.

I would be very much interested to know whether the suggestion, gained from a cursory glance at your webpage that mutilations such as foot binding and artificial lengthening of the neck are the answers to obesity, is actually what you're trying to put forward.
If I've misunderstood, which I feel I must have done, then I apologise.... it's late.

[gecko]

calorie intake may have some flaws. but this proposal about body weight is much more pseudo-science. its not even science. its a long, drawn out hypothesis. lets see some tests and results.

i dont think its true, anyway.

and if calories is a totally meaningless measurement, why has calorie restriction been proven to lengthen lives?

[another_someone]

I have not read through all of this, but there are some glaring problems with some of the detail.

Firstly, people have always assumed the obesity was associated with 'gluttony', even though they may not have known specifically about calories.

The actual development of much our modern understanding of calories come from the Second World War, when the British Government was looking to introduce food rationing, and wanted to know, both regard to civilians and for the military, what was the minimum food requirements that the population required (no doubt the Germans undertook a similar project).  It was never intended to look at what is an optimum diet, only what was the minimum diet that the population could continue to function upon.

As for foot binding in China, this was not merely about wrapping up the feet, it was actually about breaking the bones of the feet.  The feet could easily become infected, and were rarely healthy.

You say that these women were rarely obese, but I would suspect that many might even have been undernourished.  Women in old Chinese society were never highly valued, and I don't imagine a great deal of food was lavished upon them (although I accept that this is a generalisation, and no doubt individual human relationships had very different parameters from each other).

That having been said, I do agree with the wider issue that I too believe the weight (obesity or underweight) is far more complex than merely about calorific intake.  As we all know there are people who eat almost nothing, but are overweight; and those who eat and eat and eat, but never get overweight.  It has as much to do with metabolism as about food, and there are many factors that control metabolism (including, importantly, one's psychological outlook; and it is also the case that depression can cause weight gain or loss that has nothing to do with changes in food uptake).

George

[GBSB (OP)]

Fat Factors - New York Times
“The cereal box says that a one-cup serving contains 110 calories. But it may be that not everyone will extract 110 calories from a cup of Cheerios. Some may extract more, some less, depending on the particular combination of microbes in their guts”.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/13/magazine/13obesity.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/13/magazine/13obesity.html?ex=1156737600&en=123f4dfacec74087&ei=5070

May be it is the beginning of understanding that by everyone not all energy  in food intake is used by the body, but some energy is unused by body and discarded as unused energy through digestive and urinary system.
This fact is forgotten since introducing counting calories as scientific way of explanation why people are gaining weight.

What is interesting to me is that obesity scientist are still not sure does everyone’s body will use all available energy in the food and they do not bother to discovery more instead they quickly offer new theories based on genetic, micro-organisms and viruses.

I think first step to understand real cause of fat formation and to make world better place is to denounce “The Cult of Counting Calories”
Decade of worshiping “The Cult of Counting Calories” has done enough cruelty for so many.
 
The real cause of fat formation on the body is explained in this link;  http://www.freewebs.com/lukatunjic/foodwaterandair.htm

Luka Tunjic