About this episode
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Have you ever wondered why you can lose weight on a diet, only for it to come back with a vengeance? If youāve blamed yourself for a lack of willpower, our guest today argues youāve been misled. The old mantra of āeat less, move moreā is failing us, and the key to understanding why lies deep within our biology.
In this episode, Jonathan is joined by Dr. Andrew Jenkinson, a bariatric surgeon and author with decades of experience in the science of metabolism. Dr. Jenkinson dismantles the calorie-counting myth and explains the powerful biological system that controls our weight: the "set point." He reveals how our modern diet and lifestyle have broken this system, but also provides a clear, science-backed path to fixing it.
Dr. Andrew Jenkinson is a consultant bariatric surgeon and the author of Why We Eat (Too Much): The New Science of Appetite.
In this episode, youāll learn:
Why the idea that weight loss is simply about willpower is a damaging myth.
The science of the "weight set point" and how your brain fights to keep you at a certain weight.
How your metabolism acts like a "dimmer switch," slowing down to prevent weight loss when you diet.
The crucial role of hormones like leptin and insulin, and why our modern diet causes "leptin resistance" ā the reason your brain canāt tell itās full.
How yo-yo dieting can actually raise your set point, making you heavier in the long run.
A practical, step-by-step plan to lower your set point by changing what you eat, not just how much.
The truth about new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and their long-term effects.
How managing stress and improving sleep can be as important as your diet for sustainable weight management
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Timecodes
00:00 Introduction
00:20 Is gaining weight as we age inevitable?
01:38 Why āeat less, move moreā is a myth
03:53 Is your weight predetermined by your genes?
06:36 How your mother's experience in the womb can alter your dna
10:35 Why most diets are doomed to fail in the long term
12:16 Your brain has a weight 'set point' it tries to defend
15:27 The 'weight anchor': your body's powerful defence against weight loss
17:22 The reason you often end up heavier after a diet
19:00 A shocking study: yo-yo dieting made mice fatter than a junk food diet
21:35 The 'joker in the pack' control
