I caught the first part of this past week’s episode of YOU The Owners Manual on Discovery Health where they talked about weight and gastric bypass. The overall impression of the surgery was favorable, highlighted by a woman who’d lost 120 lbs after hers.

But what struck me as amazing was what Dr. Mehmet Oz said about obesity in America (emphasis mine):

Many Americans aren’t overweight just because they are eating too many calories. They’re overweight because they’re eating a diet deficient in nutrients, so the brain gives signals to keep eating more food.

Boy, this message needs to get out more. Too many people think they are eating a “healthy” diet (that could be either low-carb or low-fat), but what they are doing is getting full on empty calories.

That said, I think there’s more to it than just lack of nutrients, especially for folks like me who compulsively overeat. I’m currently fascinated by the theoretical links (e.g., here and here) between dopamine and obesity, even if they are controversial.

IMO, this is a case of “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” I just hope we understand it in my lifetime!