Tag Archive for: ultra-processed foods

Adaptation: Maintenance

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While you’re losing weight, I’ve always taught people to adopt a diet you can maintain for the rest of your life, because that’s how you’re going to have to eat for the rest of your life to maintain your weight loss. During the process, you have an opportunity: it’s going to take time to lose the weight, so you can experiment with any type of diet or eating plan along the way. The same holds true for your fitness plan, because using those calories does help.

If you use GLP-1 RA, the same approach still holds true. Your body is being induced to release a hormone that slows down stomach emptying, thereby eventually letting you know you’re full. Ignore it, and that leads to vomiting, bloating, and diarrhea. The actual GLP-1 hormone our bodies produce works more subtly, and our task is to get to the point that we listen to the inner signals again. Based on the very limited research so far, here is the best way to do that, followed by my best estimate of the time it takes to get to actual maintenance.

The Best Way to Eat

The first step is learning the Mediterranean diet or a version based on your ethnic background and shifting your diet to that while controlling the amounts you eat. Because the focus is on higher fiber foods such as beans, grains, and vegetables, it’s easy to eat less because you’ll feel fuller sooner.

Second, research shows that fiber can be critical in promoting satiety. As you transition to a new diet, you can use fiber supplements to try to get to 30 grams or more of fiber every day. Because you may be battling the loss of muscle at the same time, maintain or increase your protein intake; there are plenty of great plant-based sources of protein.

Finally, try to reduce ultra-processed foods to a minimum. They are deconstructed and reconstituted to provide simple carbohydrates, excess fats from oils, and preservatives and shelf-life extenders that are not necessary for any body functions.

That’s it for now as this is the least researched part of the adaptation phase of weight loss.  In reality, maybe it’s all we really need but when there is more info, I’ll let you know.

The Timeline

To be blunt, there’s no research to suggest how long you have to pay attention before your body completes adaptation to your new weight. Think about it—every system has to adapt, from the digestive system processing food, the microbiome adjusting to new foods, the endocrine system producing the correct hormones, and on and on and on. That’s going to take time.

I haven’t found research that gives a precise timeline, but I can give you my observation from interviews with people who have lost significant amounts of weight and maintained it: 18 to 24 months is typical. At that point, their bodies seem to have adapted to natural cues again.

Understand that no matter how you lost the weight—medications or simply counting calories or however you do it—the adaptation phase begins then.

The Bottom Line

I’m hesitant to rely on medications for doing something we can do ourselves. The food industry has created a hostile environment of food, and we have to consciously overcome temptation. But if you think about it, everything we need foodwise is also available. We have to train our brains to seek the best and leave the rest. It doesn’t mean we have to eat twigs and berries; it just means we have to pay attention.

On the other hand, weight loss is so important to your health, I’d rather see you lose the weight by any means necessary—but still put the emphasis on healthy eating and exercise.

Medications or foods? Your body. Your choice.

What are you prepared to do today? Eat better. Eat less. Move more. For life.

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. Adv Nutri. May 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2026.100647
2. Nutr. 2026 Apr;156(4):101436.  doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101436.

Obesity: A Man-Made Disease

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In order to determine whether obesity is an untreatable disease without pharmaceuticals, I took a look at BMI data since 1960. In comparing the BMI of people in the lowest income brackets with the highest income from 1960 through 2024, the lowest income group is always about one BMI unit above the highest income group. The adjusted mean is roughly a BMI of 27 for the poor people versus 26 for the richest people. That continues until the mid-1980s. After that point, the mean BMI continues to rise for the next 40 years—a mirror image with the same one BMI-unit difference.

Mid-1980s

What happened in the mid 1980s that caused the surge in obesity? After checking various sources, there appear to be three factors, not ranked in any particular order.

  • The mid-1980s saw increases in two-income families. There are plenty of economic reasons for that, but the net effect was less time spent preparing food in the home and a reliance on convenience food purchases.
  • There was an increase in fast-food drive-thrus and take-out foods. Since COVID, there is more reliance on food delivery.
  • The mid-1980s saw an increase in ultra-processed foods. Using inexpensive ingredients, particularly carbohydrates and fats, and filled with flavor enhancers that accented the salty and umami, the amount of ultra-processed food has risen to over 50% of the typical American’s diet.

She was asked, “If people stop using GLP-1, will they gain back the weight?” She said yes because there’s no other way to maintain weight loss because of the fat setpoint. I just can’t accept that premise.

The Bottom Line

Overweight and obesity appear to be man-made diseases because of the environment we live in today with so much easily available food. However, I cannot accept that the fat setpoint is permanent. Yes, there are many factors in the brain, the pancreas, and the digestive system that control the feelings of hunger and the anticipation of food, but that doesn’t mean you really need nutrition. You and I just have to learn to ignore those signals that say, “what will my snack be?” when we’re still stuffed from dinner. We must take command. I’m not suggesting it will be easy, but it’s not impossible. In my mind, it’s a lot easier than taking a medication every day for the rest of my life.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21, 73.
2. Stat Pearls. 2025. Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

Are Ultra-Processed Foods Absorbed Faster?

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The next question to consider with UPFs is this: Do you absorb more calories from UPFs than you would from minimally processed food? The answer appears to be yes, but requires some explanation.

Keep in mind that UPFs have been mechanically and chemically altered during the manufacturing process. The original grains of wheat, corn, or even something such as carrots bear no resemblance to their original form. The components, especially the fiber, have been torn apart. What’s the big deal? The normal chemical bonds that make up the food matrix are no longer in the same form as they were. Therefore, they require less digestion and potentially can be absorbed much faster starting in the small intestine.

That can mean a couple of things. The higher the proportion of UPFs in the diet, the more calories from carbohydrates can enter the bloodstream and get there faster. Blood sugar goes up more quickly; if the calories aren’t immediately used, the extra calories can be converted into fat for storage, and don’t we all love that!

It also means that the food that could have fed our microbiome is no longer present—we’ve taken in plenty of calories, but our microbiome is starving. What nutrient is missing? Fiber in the form of resistant starch. What does it resist? Digestion and absorption. That’s the food for probiotics in the microbiome, and without it, our microbiome is starving and not as healthy as it could be. The more UPFs you eat, the more you need a fiber supplement.

There is one more question that needs to be addressed, and I’ll do that in the next Memo. In the meantime, how about a bowl of steel-cut oats, bean soup, or a nice salad? Your microbiome will be so happy!

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008
2. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38778-x

Research Update: Ultra-Processed Foods

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Ultra-processed food (UPF) has been in the news again with several research papers published in the last few months. After I read the press releases as well as several articles by health columnists, I found and read the research papers. I’ve narrowed it down to three questions about UPFs plus my own question, which I’ll save for the final memo in this series.

Let’s begin with a working definition of ultra-processed foods: substances extracted from foods that are altered chemically or mechanically, combined with flavor enhancers and other additives, and formed into consumer products that are highly palatable. They are generally high in calories and appeal to every taste sensation humans possess. The manufacturing techniques themselves can change the structure of the original component and include extrusion, molding, and preprocessing by frying. Simply stated, UPFs are designed to be irresistible to eat and keep eating; if you’ve ever been handed a bag of Cheetos, you know what I mean.

The first question is simple: Do UPFs in the diet contribute to an increase in calorie intake? The answer is yes. Population studies of nutritional intake have demonstrated that countries where UPFs are available show additional caloric intake when compared with people who have low intake of UPFs. These studies are based on food frequency questionnaires, which are not my favorite way to analyze diets, as I’ve said repeatedly.

However, the increase in caloric intake in well-controlled studies where people are offered a UPF-based diet was found to be up to 500 calories per day more than on a diet that doesn’t contain UPF foods. It seems clear that eating UPF foods can result in extra calories. I’ll tackle the next question on Saturday.

Tomorrow night is the Insider conference call. If you want to participate, simply sign up as an Insider no later than 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. Food Funct. 2016 May 18;7(5):2338-46. doi: 10.1039/c6fo00107f.
2. Food Funct 2017 Feb 22;8(2):651-658. doi: 10.1039/c6fo01495j.3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008