Stephan J. Guyenet

The neuroscience of eating behavior and obesity. Author of The Hungry Brain. Founder and director of Red Pen Reviews. Neuroscience PhD, University of WA.

[Alex Leaf @Alexleaf]

Excellent review paper by Roy Taylor on his journey to verifying the cause of type 2 diabetes. Aptly titled: "Aetiology of type 2 diabetes: an experimental medicine odyssey" (PMID: 40316731).

I wanted to share two quotes from the conclusion, because there still seems to be a tremendous misunderstanding of this disease among both scientific and layperson communities.

"The original destination of this experimental medicine odyssey was to identify the cause of type 2 diabetes and now this can simply be stated. If a person develops type 2 diabetes, they have accumulated more fat than can be tolerated by their own genetic constitution."

"There is a single environmental, modifiable cause. Type 2 diabetes only develops if an individual has eaten more than they require over a long period. However, there are two important stop–go stages, both determined by the lottery of inheritance. Diabetes appears only when fat can no longer be stored safely under the skin... Even if fat spills over into ectopic sites, diabetes will only occur if there is also genetic susceptibility to fat suppression at the level of the beta cell... Even if full genetic susceptibility is present, the writing is clearly on the wall: no positive energy balance, no diabetes."

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@radfugee @Alexleaf Yeah, I was thinking the same

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@CaloDefici Added fats are one of the most effective way to get a caloric surplus in an ad libitum diet

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

We've confirmed it's an unpopular point of view 😁

Nevertheless true.

Added fats like oil and butter increase calorie intake and body fatness in a variety of species, including humans.

https://t.co/dNizV95Ssm https://t.co/lrlWBlnxcc https://t.co/U89kW8D4Rs

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

Added fat is fattening.

It may not be a popular point of view these days, but it remains true.

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@crumulusXII Not what I'm saying. "Adding concentrated sources of fat to the diet, like oils and butter, tends to make people gain fat"

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@TheNashvillian I expect people to have enough reading comprehension that when I say "added fat" and "oils and butter", they understand I'm not talking about nuts, meat, eggs, etc.

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@lumiferrous I'm talking about which foods are selected in a free-living diet, which is the most relevant framing for most people.

The problem with added fats is that they mostly add to the diet rather than replacing, because they have very low satiety per kcal.

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@TheNashvillian I specified added fat

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@cadospharma It sounds like your situation is confounded by other dietary changes. Your profile says PE. The easiest way to mess up PE is added fat.

I'd love to see scientific evidence for the claim that all else equal, adding fat to a diet causes weight loss 😁

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@DIY_Tardis The difference between those diets is mostly added fat. Oils, butter, cream. It doesn't need to be low-carb to demonstrate the point that added fat increases calorie intake and is fattening.

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@lumiferrous In a typical ad libitum diet, adding lean protein will typically lower total energy intake, and added fats will typically increase total energy intake more than most other types of food

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@BradChilmeran Relative to not adding fat, yes

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

Added fat is fattening.

It may not be a popular point of view these days, but it remains true.

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@cremieuxrecueil @JacobGudiol Yes, she doesn't accept corrections

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@carnivorlifter @cremieuxrecueil Not sure what point you're trying to make. What I'm saying is that Ancel Keys' work has been portrayed in a very misleading way by Taubes etc.

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@maxkshen Biologically, it's in the brain, but much of the experience of it is felt in the body. There's no incompatibility there.

[Stephan J. Guyenet @sguyenet]

@jerryteixeira @MattBMartin Yes, it's multi-factorial
https://t.co/yUd9lgsgEz