Thin people don’t just eat differently to fat people, they live different lives

[Northerner]

One of the biggest lies about obesity is that it’s simply about eating too much and not doing enough exercise – problems are often far deeper rooted.

This summer, I’ve spent the parliamentary recess reading improving books, learning Mandarin and nominating my celebrity friends to do the ice-bucket challenge. No, wait – of course I haven’t. Like most people, I’ve responded to having more free time by filling it with reality television.

My particular favourite is an American import called Obese: a Year to Save My Life. In the show, Chris Powell – a personal trainer who looks like a cross between a thigh muscle and a televangelist – takes on patients who need to lose half their body weight. On the whole, over the course of a year, they do. And as I’ve watched more of the programme, I’ve become convinced that behind the blindingly white teeth and unnervingly chirpy demeanour, Chris Powell is a stone-cold genius, and possibly even the man to save the NHS.

http://www.newstatesman.com/2014/08...t-people-they-live-completely-different-lives

 

[spriklett]

I'm also hooked on that program and I think he speaks a lot of sense. I had a look at his website and he advocates a carb cycling diet which looks interesting. On the easy one he says alternate days one day low carb next day high carb, although by high carb he seems to mean carb in vegetables (not potatoes as such) rather than other forms of carb (bread, pasta etc).

Has anyone else looked into this and does anyone have any thoughts?