Why some people can’t stop snacking despite gaining weight.
What the evidence says
- *Half of obese/overweight men without diabetes dropped to blood glucose below 70 mg/dL after a 75 g oral glucose load, often with no hypoglycaemic symptoms — “subclinical reactive hypoglycaemia”. The paper’s own words, twice: ”half of them exhibit glucose levels less than 70 mg/dL after a 75-g oral glucose load without notable hypoglycemic symptoms” and ”in half of the subjects, the minimal sensor glucose levels within 24 h post-OGTT were less than 70 mg/dL”*[1]
- In people with these dips the median snacking frequency was 6 times higher (0.9 vs 0.15 times/day, p < 0.001)[1]
- The review’s proposal, hedged in its own words: sugary snacks or drinks ”could further induce SRH”, so ”a vicious cycle … can be formed”[1]
- The review’s suggestion, in the author’s words: ”Although being obese or overweight is often stigmatized as greed and a lack of willpower, it is suggested that snacking in certain conditions may not be self-controllable”[1]
- Among people with snacking habits, 46% were obese (BMI ≥ 30) where subclinical reactive hypoglycaemia was present, and none were obese where it was absent — the paper’s words: ”almost half (46%) of those with snacking habits were obese (BMI ≥ 30) in the presence of SRH, while none of those exhibited obesity in the absence of SRH”[1]
- The dips came ”without notable hypoglycemic symptoms except hunger”[1]