The American journal of clinical nutrition
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Weight regain remains the main challenge in obesity management, and its etiology remains elusive. The aim of the present review was to revise the available evidence regarding the "Compensatory Theory," which is an explanatory model of relapse in obesity treatment, and to propose alternative mechanisms that can contribute to weight regain. It has been proposed, and generally accepted as true, that when a person loses weight the body fights back, with physiological adaptations on both sides of the energy balance equation that try to bring body weight back to its original state: this is the Compensatory Theory. ⋯ Here, we propose that the physiological adaptations to weight loss, both at the level of the homeostatic appetite control system and energy expenditure, are in fact a normalization to a lower body weight and not drivers of weight regain. In light of this we explore other potential mechanisms, both physiological and behavioral, that can contribute to the high incidence of relapse in obesity management. More research is needed to clearly ascertain whether the changes in energy expenditure and homeostatic appetite markers seen in reduced-obese individuals are a compensatory mechanism that drives relapse or a normalization towards a lower body weight, and to explore alternative hypotheses that explain relapse in obesity management.
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Food insecurity, a well-established determinant of chronic disease morbidity and mortality, is rapidly increasing due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We present a conceptual model to understand the multiple mechanisms through which the economic and public health crises sparked by COVID-19 might increase food insecurity and contribute to poor health outcomes in the short- and long-term. ⋯ Research is needed to examine the impact of the pandemic-related increase in food insecurity on short- and long-term chronic health outcomes, and to delineate the underlying causal mechanisms. Such research is critical to inform the development of effective programs and policies to address food insecurity and its downstream health impacts during COVID-19 and future pandemics.