You're looking at Less Wrong's discussion board. This includes all posts, including those that haven't been promoted to the front page yet. For more information, see About Less Wrong.

Brillyant comments on Stupid Questions, 2nd half of December - Less Wrong Discussion

2 Post author: Bound_up 23 December 2015 05:31AM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Article Navigation

Comments (186)

Comments (186)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: Brillyant 27 December 2015 07:01:52PM *  0 points [-]

The body regulates the pulse of the heart. Humans generally can't raise or lower their pulse by trying to raise or lower their pulse. I think the same is true with regards to the setpoint for weight.

So, what happens when someone loses 100 pounds and keeps it off for a lifetime? What happened when a 200 lb person becomes 100 lbs? How have they defied the setpoint?

I don't have reason to believe that's true in general.

"In sum, there is little support for the notion that diets lead to lasting weight loss or health benefits."

Proper diet is a discipline, like any other discipline. Of course proper diet will contribute to health benefits, one of which is a healthy body weight. The benefits continue as long as the discipline continues. Like anything else.

What is the alternative? Eat whatever you please because the body has a setpoint that will be achieved regardless?

"These studies show that one third to two thirds of dieters regain more weight than they lost on their diets"

Somewhere between 33% and 67%? So, somewhere between most people succeed at dieting and most people fail. And this is evidence?

**

I'm curious, what do you suggest for a general ELI5 weight loss plan? If someone weighs 200 lbs and decides they want to reduce their BMI to within a healthy range and get down to 150 lbs, how shall they proceed?

Comment author: ChristianKl 27 December 2015 07:29:43PM 0 points [-]

So, what happens when someone loses 100 pounds and keeps it off for a lifetime? What happened when a 200 lb person becomes 100 lbs? How have they defied the setpoint?

They did something that changed the setpoint.

Somewhere between 33% and 67%? So, somewhere between most people succeed at dieting and most people fail.

If you define success at dieting at not increasing your weight, I think you have different standards than most people.

I'm curious, what do you suggest for a general ELI5 weight loss plan? If someone weighs 200 lbs and decides they want to reduce their BMI to within a healthy range and get down to 150 lbs, how shall they proceed?

I don't have the data to proof that a certain recommendation is the best, but ideas I consider to be promising are: 1) Check whether something like a virus produces unnecessary inflamation and fight the virus if there's one. 2) Shangri La diet. 3) Hackers diet style charting. 4) Work through the surrounding psycholoigcal issues with a good hypnotherist or otherwise skilled person.

I don't think the tricks from 2 to 4 are enough when the core reason is an illness that produces inflamation. Different people are likely overweight for different reasons and there won't be a one-size-fits-all solution.

Comment author: Brillyant 27 December 2015 09:31:57PM 0 points [-]

If you define success at dieting at not increasing your weight, I think you have different standards than most people.

Part of a healthy diet is managing calories in such a way that you remain at a healthy weight. It may be useful to create a calorie deficit for a limited time.

I'd guess many people likely fail at keeping a disciplined diet for a long time because it is hard to keep up discipline at anything for a long time. And our culture/lifestyle isn't terribly conducive to staying lean.

Comment author: ChristianKl 27 December 2015 09:34:38PM 0 points [-]

Part of a healthy diet is managing calories in such a way that you remain at a healthy weight. It may be useful to create a calorie deficit for a limited time.

Then you are inconsitstent with what you called success above, where you call any small reduction or zero change in weight a success of dieting.

Powered by Reddit Powered by Reddit