Exactly. Processed food causes obesity.
And non-processed food doesn't? Might want to be careful with the absolute statements...
Simpler sugars cause a spike in glucose levels in the blood, triggering fat storage mechanisms
Partially true, but a little misleading. It's an excess of glucose in the bloodstream that causes it. The fructose in an orange will trigger the same spike as the sucrose in plain table sugar. It's too much of either that's the culprit, not the food item itself. Complex carbs may not elevate glucose levels as fast, but they keep that elevated level for a far longer period of time. Eating more than the body can process triggers the "fat storage mechanism" regardless of carb type.
The "simple carb" argument also fails on one key point - if the fat is stored from a quick spike in blood sugar, that means the fat is burned for energy once the blood sugar levels return to normal. With complex carbs the blood glucose levels may not spike as hard, but the elevated levels extend for a longer period of time. The result? For a given amount of calories, and averaged over time time, the net effect is the same. In simpler terms, if you consume more calories than your body needs it stores it as fat. Weight gain. Eat less than your body needs and it will burn stored fat to make up the shortfall. Weight loss. Simple biophysics.
Does that mean you could live on a diet of pure suger? No. The body needs a much more complex mix of nutrients - carbs, proteins, fats, and trace elements. However, that doesn't change the fact that "processed" foods are not a root cause. We like to think they are to alleviate us from any personal responsibility for our well-being (i.e. weight). In other words, we like blaming "processed" foods for our weight troubles instead of acknowleding that we create our own problems with poor diet and lack of exercise.
Brad
