New Science on How to Hack Your Metabolism and Burn Fat

The human race has a paradoxical energy crisis. We are drowning in stored energy (fat), something evolution did not prepare us for. More than 40 percent of adult Americans are obese. Excess body weight substantially increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia (elevated cholesterol/triglycerides), cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, and decreases both life expectancy and quality.

Between the ages of 30 and 60, the average adult gains one pound of fat and loses a half-pound of muscle every year. So, as you sit down, and it’s fair to say you’ll want to sit down, to celebrate your 60th birthday, you will be packing 30 more pounds of fat and 15 less pounds of muscle than on your 30th.

Happy birthday.

Until recently the problem was framed exclusively in a calories-in (diet) — calories-out (exercise) model. This approach obviously has not lent itself to a sustainable solution.

Although the balance of energy intake and energy burning will always dictate weight, new findings suggest novel ways of significantly increasing the calories-out side of the equation.

First some basics.

Daily energy expenditure can be broken down into four components.