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Comment by aitchnyu | Hacker News Reader

They had me. I have a strong idea in my brain that a meal of chocolate bars and a healthy meal will result in same weight loss if calories are equal. Some professor lost weight eating chocolate bars!

I also assumed the public knows sodas contain a nauseating amount of sugar. How will this "research" benefit Coca Cola as a soda company?

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If calories in the bars are equal, and if your body can absorb the same number of calories from the food, and if your metabolism stays the same on the different kinds of foods, and if you have the self-discipline to eat only the same number of calories when the sugar rush from the chocolate bar wears off and you want another.

Even with all that, your body composition would still change over time from lack of protein.

I believe your metabolism responds differently. The sugar signals your body that you've eaten a rich calorie source but fat is lacking, please save this as fat for later. If you had eaten a meal with more fiber and fat, it signals to your body that fatty meals are available now, you can use some for energy, no need to create more storage.

Some food will more likely get stored anyway and rather instruct the brain to move less to compensate, while others will be more likely to "energize" you to do things physically and expend the energy.

See Robert Lustig on sugar.

>I have a strong idea in my brain that a meal of chocolate bars and a healthy meal will result in same weight loss if calories are equal. Some professor lost weight eating chocolate bars!

Because it's true. People don't want it to be true though. While there are some extra steps involved it does come down to the simple energy balance model. What's different about eating different foods is that they can change how we behave and feel. Eating some foods can leave you craving for more, while others won't. Fundamentally though, you're not going to gain weight on a calorie deficit.

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