Ketogenic Diet: Fad or Fact

            Weight-loss always seems to be something that people, especially Americans, are interested in. By now, some have tried every diet imaginable, some with success but many without any success. What is the root of this diet culture though and why do some fail numerous times? I have a few ideas I would like to explore and one diet in specific that I find especially interesting.

            As Dr. Wambura Fobbs mentioned in her research talk at Loyola University Chicago on Tuesday, December 7^th, 2021, and something that is known to many, America is in an obesity epidemic, and it has been for the past 20 years. The obesity rate has continued to increase both in adults and children and no end of this epidemic is in sight (Fobbs). Is this the reason why “fad diets” are so popular in America? This is a definite cause, but how did America get to this point in the first place?

            This leads me to my second reason and something Dr. Wambura Fobbs mentioned, food is a reward. Biologically we need food for energy, but from a neuroscientific standpoint, food is a reward. It leads to positive hormone release and many times makes us feel happier. This positive hormone release can lead to overeating and in the end obesity. One of the true issues though is that “obesity is comorbid with depression, anxiety, compulsivity, and binge eating disorder” (Fobbs). This has come to be due to the evolution of humans and food environments. Our ancestors preferred foods high in carbohydrates, fat, and sodium to maintain high levels of energy for their active lifestyles (Fobbs). They had to find this food though and thus needed much higher levels of energy to sustain themselves. Now our food environment in most of America is quite different. Many can go to the supermarket and acquire a vast variety of foods with little to no work. The issue is that we still have this innate craving for carbohydrates, fat, and sodium, but we do not need all the calories they provide us with. Thus, we have begun to try and cut certain aspects out in hopes of losing weight.

            Through Dr. Fobbs’ research testing mice and their preferences, they overwhelmingly preferred high fat diets to their standard “chow diets”. This greatly reminded me of the ketogenic diet and piqued by curiosity as to if the ketogenic diet works and is good for the health of humans or simply just a popular “fad diet” as I previously believed it to be.

Contrary to my prior belief, the ketogenic diet can be effective for weight-loss as confirmed by numerous studies by Dr. Nina Teicholz (Williams). Further, in the BMJ, “a study published in November [2019] … found that people who replaced carbohydrates with fat in their diets burned about 250 more calories than people who binged on carbs.” (Williams). The issue with diets and obesity is that people overeat then attempt to diet and lose weight, finding it very difficult to diet. They then relapse and this cycle continues as Dr. Fobbs has seen in mice (Fobbs). The other issue with diets is that they are not always the best for the general health of people. While the ketogenic diet can help people lose weight, it also has a history of causing low blood pressure, kidney stones, constipation, nutrient deficiencies, and an increased risk of heart disease (Helms).

I personally have tried the ketogenic diet. It did not make me feel very good and made me feel very lethargic. On the other hand, my brother has done the ketogenic diet and he felt great while on it. It most definitely depends on the person. This is part of the reason I found Dr. Wambura Fobbs’ research on feeding so interesting and hope to learn more about feeding and diets as well as their effects on behavior.

References:

     (1)   Fobbs, Wambura. (2021, December 7). Leveraging neural recording & behavior to better understand how diet impacts cognition [Live Zoom Presentation]. Loyola University Chicago Neuroscience Seminar, Chicago, IL, United States.

     (2)   Williams, A. (2019, March 15). What's the skinny on the Keto Diet? The New York Times. Retrieved December 12, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/15/style/self-care/keto-diet-atkins-low-carbs-al-roker.html.

     (3)   Helms, N. (2019, June 20). Is the keto diet safe? what are the risks? Is the Keto Diet Safe? What are the Risks? - UChicago Medicine. Retrieved December 12, 2021, from https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/health-and-wellness-articles/ketogenic-diet-what-are-the-risks.