The latest report issued by Swedish scientist Fredrik Nyström contains a message eerily akin to those preached by Sunday school teachers: "Every individual is unique and special." Surprisingly, his conclusion stems from a year-long study in which 18 volunteers gorged themselves on junk food — doubling their normal daily calories — and avoided physical activity as much as possible.So how were these subjects impacted by downing half a pound of bacon and (no joke) drinking cups of cooking oil? Well, every person responded differently and some participants even experienced health benefits. Discussing the study in The Guardian, Nyström explained the variations:
Indeed, Nyström claims that for some people, eating 10% more will lead to their metabolism increasing at the same level. The extra energy will be burned off as body heat during sleep. "If that was not the case we would all have to keep track of every last calorie," he says. "And you have to realise that some overeaters consume such grotesque amounts that they would be even heavier – much heavier! – were it not for this safety mechanism."
While this work is the first clinical trial to refute the oversimplified accusations by food police like "Supersize Me" creator Morgan Spurlock who (almost exclusively) blame fast food for obesity, many other professors, journalists and everyday citizens have shown any type of food can influence weight loss or gain. To name a few: US documentary film-maker Scott Caswell and Eastern Illinois University professor James Painter.While Nyström’s subjects can eat anything under the sun, residents of one sun-drenched state may soon face mandatory meal restrictions.City and county officials in Los Angeles continue to push for trans fat bans, even though legal advisors informed these representatives that such food laws can only pass at the state level. On Tuesday the California Restaurant Association turned the debate into a moot point by announcing the industry’s voluntary removal of the blackballed nutrient. Andrew Casana, a representative for the CRA, told the Los Angeles Times that restaurants will continue "moving away from trans fat regardless of what happens."
