Chapter 6

In this chapter we try to source the formula “to lose 1lb of fat you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories”. I can trace it back to a diet book from 1918 and I invite others who believe in this formula to see if they can trace it to an earlier date or to confirm if the source I found is the original. There was no proof in the book I found and there has been none since. We go through a 1930’s obesity journal in this chapter, which claimed:

“In conclusion we wish to commit ourselves to the statement that obesity is never directly caused by abnormal metabolism but that it is always due to food habits not adjusted to the metabolic requirement – either the ingestion of more food than is normally needed or the failure to reduce the intake in response to a lowered requirement.” I have italicised the words ‘never’ and ‘always’, as they are strong words. Did the authors proof their claim, beyond any doubt, in their journal article? Did they heck!