Mini Mikkipedia: Calories vs Insulin: The Fat Gain False Dichotomy

Is body fat gain simply “calories in, calories out”—or is insulin the real puppet master? In this Mini Micropedia episode, Mikki unpacks the loudest argument in nutrition science and explains why both camps are touching real physiology… but neither tells the full story alone. You’ll hear what the carbohydrate–insulin model (CIM) actually claims, how insulin resistance works at the cellular level (IRS/PI3K/AKT, lipid intermediates, inflammation), and why insulin affects appetite, satiety, and nutrient partitioning. Mikki also uses classic refeeding data (including the Minnesota Starvation Experiment and modern refeeding trials) to show that rising insulin doesn’t automatically mean instant fat gain—energy balance still sets the boundary conditions. The practical takeaway: target a calorie deficit, but design it to improve insulin sensitivity and keep hunger manageable.

Highlights / topics covered

• What the carbohydrate–insulin model gets right (and where it overreaches)
• Insulin resistance mechanisms: ectopic fat, DAG/PKC signalling, inflammation
• Appetite regulation: central insulin resistance, leptin signalling, food reward
• Refeeding lessons: glycogen/lean tissue restoration vs “insulin = fat gain”
• The integrated model: calories as the constraint, insulin as the difficulty dial

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