Gorilla diet could explain human obesity

**Prince** · 06-23-2011, 11:10 AM

Gorilla diet could explain human obesity

The eating habits of Uganda gorillas could provide a clue as to why humans are becoming increasingly obese, according to a recent New Zealand scientist's study.

Nutritional ecologist Professor David Raubenheimer, from Massey University's Institute of Natural Sciences, studied gorillas in remote Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, who seasonally over-ate protein to meet their needs for carbohydrates and fats.

But the results of the study surprised the researcher because they were opposite to what humans did, which was to over-eat carbohydrates and fats to get enough protein.

In the four months of the year when fruits were freely available, the rare apes ate a diet that provided 19 per cent of energy from protein. The study showed this was close to a balanced diet for gorillas and was similar to the protein requirements of humans.

But in the eight months of the year when fruits were scarce in their high-altitude forest habitats, the gorillas ate a diet containing 30 per cent protein.

"This provided us with a natural experiment in which we could test whether the appetite of mountain gorillas is more tightly linked to protein or non-protein energy [carbohydrates and fats]," Prof Raubenheimer said.

"If protein is more important, then gorillas stuck on the high protein diet will eat enough food to satisfy their need for protein, but in the process eat less than the required amount of fats and carbs."

The eating pattern explained a lot about the nutritional biology of our own species, he said.

"It means that our intake of fats and carbs, and hence of energy, is lower when we eat a diet high in protein -- which is how high protein weight loss diets, like the Atkins diet, work.

"But there is a flipside -- when we eat a diet low in protein, we over-eat fats and carbs to satisfy our appetite for protein."

This could explain the rise over the past few decades in human obesity, he said.

"For a number of reasons, including the relatively high price of protein, the protein content of our diets has over the past 50 years become diluted with fats and carbs. Our craving for protein causes us to over-eat the low-protein foods, in the same way that an alcoholic would drink more low-alcohol lager to satisfy his addiction."

The findings have been published in the British journal Biology Letters.

**zoco** · 06-23-2011, 03:01 PM

Great read

**Swagger** · 06-23-2011, 03:13 PM

Too many whacky studies floating around these days, corrupting peoples feeble minds.

**zoco** · 06-23-2011, 03:33 PM

Why do people overeat with carbs and fats but no protein? How come no one gets cravings for protein ?

**WG 3.0** · 06-23-2011, 03:54 PM

Carbs and fats are usually more tasty.

**awhites1** · 06-23-2011, 05:18 PM

Guerillas have tv and McDonalds now??...

**Kathybird** · 06-23-2011, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by awhites1

Guerillas have tv and McDonalds now??...

... and twinkies.

**Tomn** · 06-23-2011, 11:02 PM

interesting read, thanks..

**leestacy38** · 06-24-2011, 04:44 AM

this is very interesting

**Glycomann** · 06-24-2011, 05:50 AM

I don't know about gorillas but I just want to be lean and jacked so that means high protein, lower carbs, and moderate fat. Pretty simple Simon.

**Glycomann** · 06-24-2011, 06:05 AM

There is really something that is missing from the consciousness of most people. In the early 20th century humanity was on the brink of massive famine that threatened then in the 20 years to follow. The problem was the natural limit in fixed nitrogen. nitrogen has to be fixed to enter the food chain. Essentially, the earth, left to natural processes, is designed to sustain only about 1 billion people. Thankfully, I guess, Fritz Haber, a German Jew, invented the Haber process to fix nitrogen artificially. Using this and similar processes we were able to artificially fix nitrogen and create fertilizer, which was used to expand the food supply. Obviously this comes in the forms mostly of grain crops as these are most economical.

The boggy man in all this is not that corporations want us to get fat. The problem is that we wanted to continue population growth and not see massive droves of humans suffer famine. So we expanded the food supply best as we could. It's more practical to produce food stuffs as grain crops and less practical, for numerous reasons (i.e. conversion rates), to produce high protein food sources.

Bodybuilding is really an anomaly in many respects. Without the Haber process it would not have even been possible except possibly as a rich man's hobby. Bodybuilding is a consumptive, inefficient wasteful process. i love it just as much as anyone but that these are the facts.

**Livebig14** · 06-24-2011, 06:34 AM

They are alpha as fuck. I want that build.

**TriumphTt600** · 06-24-2011, 07:21 AM

Yeah

**Prince** · 06-24-2011, 11:28 AM

An adult gorilla's upper body strength is six times more powerful than that of an adult human.

**Livebig14** · 06-24-2011, 01:21 PM

Not a gorilla but this is what on chimpanzee can do to your face and they are way smaller than a silverback. There would be nothing left if that fucker got a hold of you.

**TJTJ** · 11-22-2011, 07:20 PM

I want that Gorilla strength!

Ever see a Gorilla attack a rival clan? They str8up cannibalize the babies!

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