Obesity is one of the most pressing health challenges of our time, and new research (which I link here) focuses on an unexpected culprit: proteins. The so-called "ultra-processed" foods that abound on Western tables do more than just make us fat. They trigger a truly perverse mechanism, identified by this research as the real hidden engine behind the obesity epidemic which is now (finally!) at the center of a scientific and social debate.
The predators of lost proteins
Human beings have an innate urge to regulate protein intake. This impulse, which has served us well for millennia, is now boomeranging. Modern processed foods, rich in fats and carbohydrates, are “diluting” proteins, pushing people to consume more calories in an attempt to meet their protein needs.
The phenomenon, known as “protein leverage,” is now identified as a significant underlying factor of the obesity epidemic that we are facing.
Protein, what nostalgia: when food deceives us
It might seem counterintuitive: after all, we live in a time of food abundance. But it is precisely this abundance, or rather, the quality of what we eat, that is becoming our Achilles' heel. Ultra-processed foods, while convenient and tasty, often lack the nutritional balance needed for a healthy diet.
And they force our body into a state of "desperate hunting" for the proteins it lacks, eating again and again.
The cumulative effect
It's not just about “going off the grid” for a meal or an occasional food choice. The cumulative effect of years of unbalanced food choices can have very serious repercussions on our health.
Recent studies have shown, for example, that early exposure to high-protein diets, such as through some types of powdered milk, could lead to increased protein needs and greater susceptibility to obesity in later years.
An integrated vision for a better future
With the WHO declaring obesity the greatest health threat facing humanity, it's clear we need a new strategy.
The authors of the research suggest an integrated approach, examining how various factors contribute to obesity, rather than seeing them as competing explanations.
Only through a deep and integrated understanding can we hope to identify sustainable intervention points to reverse the incidence of obesity and associated complications, obviously excluding routes through surgery or drugs.
