The idea that 'it's not about how much you eat, but about insulin' (the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity) remains genuinely debated among researchers themselves — neither confirmed nor refuted, despite the confident way it's presented.

noli's read

Dr Benjamin Bikman champions the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity (CIM): high-glycemic carbs supposedly drive storage rather than burning, independent of calories. It's a genuine scientific theory, not a marketing invention — but it remains actively contested. A landmark metabolic-ward trial (Hall et al., low-carb vs low-fat, 20 participants) initially seemed to contradict it; a recent reanalysis (2024, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) found that once a methodological bias (a carry-over effect between the two diet arms) is corrected for, the data actually leans toward supporting the model. The debate pits serious researchers on both sides (Ludwig and Ebbeling for the CIM, Hall for the classic calorie model), and it isn't settled as of today. Presenting the CIM as established truth goes beyond what the science can currently support. What's more solidly established is more modest: high-GI refined carbs do have a real effect on postprandial hormones, even though how much that effect actually drives weight gain remains disputed.

the sources

1. 1Gardner CD et al. (DIETFITS) 2018
2. 2Seidelmann SB et al. 2018
3. 3Hu T et al. 2012