While visiting his mother during a Thanksgiving holiday, Morgan Spurlock turned on the TV news. He watched a report about how two women were suing McDonald's, claiming that eating McDonald's food caused them to become obese. Spurlock at the time wanted to be a … [Read more...]
A sugar that burns fat? by Jerry Brainum
According to the biochemistry textbooks, losing fat isn't that complex. You simply ingest fewer calories than you burn through physical activity and you will lose fat. In the last few days, I have seen several articles in science journals that proclaim the superiority … [Read more...]
Soda Makes You Fat, But Not For The Reasons You Think by Jerry Brainum
Recent studies show that the world is getting fatter. This is true despite all the publicity about the dangers of obesity and all the diet books that claim to offer a cure for too much body fat. Physiologists often say that losing body fat is simply a matter of … [Read more...]
Does Eating Fruit Make You Fat? by Jerry Brainum
Many myths related to bodybuilding, fitness, and health seem to linger despite a wealth of evidence against them. One example of this is the notion that you should consume only egg whites if you seek maximum fat loss and muscularity. Overlooked in this suggestion is … [Read more...]
Does Fat Burn Fat? by Jerry Brainum
In the 1960s, the premier bodybuilding gym in the United States was Vince's gym in Studio City, California. The proprietor of the gym, Vince Gironda, was an irascible former bodybuilding competitor in the 40s and 50s who had developed a wealth of both training and … [Read more...]
A new look at “fat burning” during exercise by Jerry Brainum
Since I trained at the original Gold's Gym in Venice, California, and knew many of the elite bodybuilders of that era, I'm often asked about how they trained and dieted to get into top condition. I've read many articles and books written by some of these bodybuilders … [Read more...]
Can exercise make you fatter? by Jerry Brainum
The notion that exercise helps you lose body fat is controversial. No one argues whether exercise burns or oxidizes calories, instead, the controversy is how exercise may affect other factors associated with fat loss, such as appetite. One author, Gary Taubes, has … [Read more...]
New studies from a science meeting by Jerry Brainum
I've reported about science meetings here in Applied Metabolics and prior to that in magazines. These meetings, which are usually held in exotic locales that double as vacation resorts (the likely real reason for the meetings!) … [Read more...]
The Stuff that Dreams are Made out of (Sleep) by Jerry Brainum
Whether we like it or not, we have to sleep. Consider that if you sleep an average of 8 hours a night, you will have slept 229,661 hours or a third of your life. Many people think that sleep is a waste of time and do everything they can to minimize the time spent … [Read more...]
The Biggest Loser, Lessons Learned by Jerry Brainum
Discussing her participation in the hit television series, The Biggest Loser, Kai Hibbard, who was a contestant during season three of the U.S version of the show doesn't pull any punches. "The whole fucking show is a fat-shaming disaster that I'm … [Read more...]