Food and weight loss | Dr Kevin Hall
3/30/20261 hr 56 min
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Kevin Hall from the NIH to unpack the science behind ultra-processed foods, energy balance, and the new U.S. Dietary Guidelines.
We explore what controlled feeding studies reveal about why people tend to eat more calories on ultra-processed diets, and whether it’s the foods themselves or the broader environment driving these effects.
What We Cover
Key takeaways from the new U.S. Dietary Guidelines What ultra-processed foods actually mean in research vs policy Why people eat more calories without noticing The role of energy density and...
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSimon Hill· Host0:00
Today's guest on The Proof is Dr. Kevin Hall, one of the most influential nutrition scientists of the last decade. Kevin is the man behind the landmark metabolic ward study that proved that ultra-processed foods drive us to overeat five hundred extra calories a day without people even realizing it. He spent over two decades at the "NIH." He ran the famous Biggest Loser metabolism research study. He tested the carbohydrate insulin model in controlled settings, and then last year walked away from his dream job, citing censorship of his findings. In this episode, we go deep. Kevin's take on the new dietary guidelines and whether the current administration's approach to food and health is grounded in science, why he thinks we're far from done studying ultra-processed foods, the mechanisms driving overconsumption of these foods, why your body fights so hard to regain lost weight, GLP-1 drugs and food industry politics. Let's get into it. Please enjoy. [air whooshing] I wanted to start today's conversation with the brand-new dietary guidelines for Americans.
Kevin Hall· Guest1:10
Okay.
Simon Hill· Host1:12
[laughs] A little different to some of the episodes that you, you've done. They're obviously very topical right now. They just came out in the last month. From your perspective, grounded in, I guess, decades at the "NIH" and, and the broader nutrition science literature that you're across, what were your