Introduction
Think of your stomach as the fuel tank of a car. Did you know that there is negligible difference in the miles per gallon you get from buying premium over regular fuel? (1) Ten gallons of premium fuel will get you just as far as ten gallons of regular unleaded. In other words, it is how much gas you buy and how far you drive which determine what’s left in the tank, not what type of gas. At The Difference, we present a correlating opinion— that it’s how many calories you consume and how much activity you get that determine weight change, not the relative merits of your diet.
Discussion
Our proven hypothesis is that weight change can be accurately predicted by the simple difference between caloric intake and caloric burn. Therefore, an effective weight-management tool must track how many calories are consumed, but it need not specifically address the complex subject of consumption.
Getting back to the gas tank analogy, the basic similarity between vehicle fuel and food is that both must be converted into energy, whereby fuel is burned in the engine, and food or drink is metabolized by the body. The energy from burning vehicle fuel becomes immediately available after spark plug ignition. Fuel has various octane levels, reflecting how much compression can be withstood before igniting, and some high-performance vehicles can benefit from this type of fuel, but most cars are unable. Similarly, people must “burn” what they consume (through the process of metabolization) to have energy to live. The amount of energy which is released through metabolization can be measured in calories. Different types of activity, from household chores like vacuuming to strenuous activity like swimming, have different rates of caloric burn. A highly active lifestyle burns more calories throughout the day than a purely sedentary lifestyle, but even sleeping or sitting at a desk still burns calories.
Now, before nutritionists, dieticians and other professionals well-versed in healthy eating choices begin to voice criticism of this obviously basic comparison between food and fuel, please trust that we are fully aware and respect that there is so much more to the science of nutrition than caloric intake. Food is so vital to health that it is hard to begin to even identify all the ramifications. The primary function of food is nutrition — to provide nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and amino acids to a living organism. Let it suffice to say that some of these nutrients are metabolized to release energy, which can be measured in calories.
Instead of expanding on the complexities of consumption, we refocus on the mission of The Difference, which is “to make lasting improvement in the health and wellness of our clients and their communities by providing predictive, intuitive, and affordable weight management technology.” We advocate for the advantages of simplification to achieve your goals. In this light, we are purposefully indifferent about the nutritional value of caloric intake beyond the actual calories themselves. That said, we encourage our customers to strive for healthy living: Just like your car needs regular maintenance, it is wise to see your primary care physician for check-ups; just like there are mechanics specializing in engines and transmissions, you may want to retain the services of a nutritionist or registered dietician if you are experiencing a certain nutrition problem; if your feel like you are “running on a flat tire,” then perhaps some medication, counseling or other care could be helpful; and you may want to “lighten the load” on your shoulders through self-care (e.g. take a nap, mediate or do Yoga), similar to what you would do to your car when removing bike racks or storage pods or cleaning out your trunk.
Conclusion
To finish out the analogy, if you fill your tank with 10 gallons of gas and drive it to empty, then the weight of your car will remain the same, all else being equal. Similarly, if you are a middle-aged man that eats a little more than you should one day (say, 2,400 calories), but take a nice, half hour walk (about 200 calories) on a low-key Saturday (about 2,200 calories), The Difference estimates that your weight will be unchanged for the day.
We invite you to use The Difference to achieve your weight management goals. The premise discussed in this article, that weight change is highly correlated to caloric intake minus caloric burn, is central to our technology.
Please email us at Info@TheDifferenceApp.com for more information, or join our mailing list.
(1) Source: TrueCar Advisor, “Premium vs. Regular Gas Explained”.