Rethinking insulin in obesity

Abstract

Hypothesis The causes of obesity remain unclear, and several models have been proposed to help prevent or reverse weight gain. The carbohydrate-insulin model centers on the role of insulin in driving adiposity and limiting satiety in response to consumed carbohydrates. It has thus been proposed that low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets (a ketogenic diet) could be used to limit the postprandial effects of insulin. In a Perspective, Speakman and Hall discuss the accumulating evidence that this role of insulin may not be the key factor in regulating weight gain. Instead, they propose that the basal level of insulin in response to the balance of energy intake and expenditure, rather than diet composition per se, is more important. Science , this issue p. [577][1] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aav0448