Growing Evidence Supporting the Protein Leverage Hypothesis

Humans, like many other species , regulate protein intake more strongly than any other dietary component and so if protein is diluted there is a compensatory increase in food intake.

The hypothesis proposes that the dilution of protein in modern-day diets by fat and carbohydrate-rich processed foods is driving increased energy intake as the body seeks to satisfy its natural protein drive — eating unnecessary calories until it does so.

With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring obesity as the largest health threat facing humanity, the authors of a new paper by the Royal Society argue that there needs to be a focus on integrative approaches that examine how various contributors interact in obesity, rather than lo...