The Case for a Low-Carb Diet Is Stronger Than Ever

A new, major study supports the “Carbohydrate Insulin Model” of obesity

Dr. David Ludwig
Elemental
Published in
9 min readNov 14, 2018

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Illustration: PollyW/Getty

The Problem

Most people have trouble staying on a weight-loss program.
Of those who stay on a program, most don’t lose much weight.
Of those who do lose weight, most regain it in 1 or 2 years.

These observations, first made in the 1950s, remain true today.

It’s now time to question every assumption.

The conventional approach to obesity considers weight control as a matter of accounting — too many calories into the body, not enough calories out. The solution: count calories, eat less and move more. As long as you have a negative “energy balance,” you’ll eventually solve the problem.

Sounds simple. The problem is, calorie restriction is devilishly difficult for most people to sustain over the long term, because the body fights back when it’s deprived of calories. Decades of research shows that, as people lose weight, their hunger inevitably increases and their metabolism slows down.

The more weight you lose, the harder it is to burn off those extra calories, even as hunger and cravings for extra calories keep rising. This isn’t a matter of will power. In the battle between mind and…

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Dr. David Ludwig
Elemental

Physician, Nutrition Researcher, and Public Health Advocate. #1 NY Times bestselling author ofALWAYS HUNGRY? and ALWAYS DELICIOUS