17/02/2021
Fitness influencers and bro science preachers frequently propose direct-to-consumer “information” about food, dietary schemes or supplements which increase the energy expenditure and/or burn fats.
First let's revise what Direct to Consumer is- Direct to consumer marketing is defined as promotion of a product directly from manufacturer to consumers without involving the intermediaries in the process.
Most of these advertisements contain mis- or dis-information and are purely out for your wallet.
Some examples include: “drink a lot and consume fat-burning foods” (e.g., pineapple, ginger, onion, avocado, asparagus, celery, chili, broccoli, green tea, garlic, etc.) and “avoid the foods that make you fat” (e.g., pasta, bread and foods containing gluten, oil, dairy products, etc.), in order to lose weight
All these suggestions are generally incorrect: there are no foods with negative calories and focusing on one or a few foods or nutrients does not work, as a multifaceted and individualized program with careful follow-up over time is required to lose weight.
This kind of mis-/dis-information is particularly concerning, leading to its influence on the general population, and such wrong beliefs have been found to be hard to correct, especially in people with lower cognitive ability.
What actually helps is instead is awareness on the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), it is a term used for energy (calorie) expenditure required for nutrients absorption and digestion.
Diet induced thermogenesis (DIT) is another fancy name for (TEF) and accounts for 10-15% of your Total Energy Expenditure (TEE)
This is where your macronutrient intake and food selection can play a significant role.
Protein has the highest TEFon average with 20-20%
Carbs TEF is at 4-8 %
Dietary fat TEF is 1-5%
There is abundant research that proves high protein diets almost always lead to better results in terms of fat loss if calories are matched between macronutrient groups.
