Most people, especially in middle age, struggle with the ‘battle of the bulge’. The common comment is “I still eat the same as I have always eaten, but I just can’t stop gaining weight”.

This isn’t just a cosmetic issue. Increase in weight is associated with blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and dementia. This places greater urgency on addressing the problem. Weight gain, as we have mentioned in previous articles, is complex. The body’s homeostatic mechanisms to maintain a healthy weight is failing.

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It is not just the simple kilojoules in – kilojoules out equation at work. Other factors involved are pleasure centres in the brain which influence food addictions, the spectrum of micro-organisms in our gut, the types and make-up of foods we eat, societal norms and family traditions, marketing and personal habits. But perhaps the most important factor for the purposes of this article is something called energy-density of foods.

I have never seen an obese impala or giraffe. I have never even seen an obese lion in the wild. Have I seen an obese dog or cat? Yes. What is the difference? The animals living in their natural state are eating foods for which they were designed. Their bodies tell them when they have had enough to eat by various receptors in their stomachs and brains. But when we start feeding domestic animals processed foods, like dog and cat chunks, and particularly if they are not given regular exercise, they overeat through boredom, overabundance, and inactivity.

The obesity pandemic began to pick up in the ’80s and ’90s. There is a strong correlation with ultra-processing of foods, together with increase in consumption of animal products. Far too many people have lost the art of home cooking, and rely on fast foods, high in sugar, salt, oil, refined carbs and fatty meats. Eating these foods in abundance brings inevitable weight gain.

But there is a way that you can eat to satiety, providing everything you need for health and vitality. It is called the energy-density approach to weight loss.

Most of your plate should consist of whole foods which include non-starchy vegetables (like cabbage, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, beetroots – which only have around 400kj per 500gm); fruit (e.g. bananas, apples, grapes, mangoes, oranges – which have 1200-1600kj per 500gm); unrefined starchy foods (e.g. whole grains, boiled potatoes, beans, lentils – which have 2400kj per 500gm).

Far less of the plate should incorporate processed carbs and animal products, which contain up to 8400kj per 500gm. Any oil has almost 17 000kj per 500gm. Eating abundantly mostly of low energy-dense foods provide ample nutrients and satiety without restriction.

Dr Dave Glass
MBChB, FCOG(SA), DipIBLM

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