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The Obesity Code Lecture (Why do we get Fat?) Part 1

The Obesity Code Lecture (Why do we get Fat?) Part 1 on HackerTube: recommended by 3 Hacker News commenters across 3 separate months, 2014–2025.

Jason Fung

lecture · dated

Open on YouTube

Dr. Jason Fung lectures on why obesity became an epidemic since the 1970s, arguing insulin and hormones rather than calories drive weight gain. He explains why calorie counting fails and touches on low-carb eating and fasting.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN commenters recommend it as a compelling alternative explanation of obesity from a prominent proponent.

people recommended it
3
separate months
3
strong recommendations
1
discussed on HN
2014–2025
“Dr. Jason Fung has a very interesting and, in my opinion, compelling explanation of obesity and weight gain.”
— mikenew, Apr 2018, in “Mounting criticism of NIH's relationship with the alcohol industry”

What HN commenters said

4 Hacker News comments link this video. Each one links back to its thread.

JasserInicideApr 2025Strongly recommends

Jason Fung is probably the world's leading research expert on obesity. If you want videos to watch on it, it starts and ends with this guy. He has done a ton of lectures and blogposts going back over a decade, and also has the stereotypical clickbaity YouTube videos. ▶ this video

in “Adipose tissue retains an epigenetic memory of obesity after weight loss” · View on HN

mikenewApr 2018Recommends

Minor point, but Dr. Jason Fung has a very interesting and, in my opinion, compelling explanation of obesity and weight gain. He argues that the main driver of obesity in the long term is insulin rather than total calories, and because alcohol doesn't significanlty raise insulin it doesn't contribute to obesity, despite the calories. ▶ this video

in “Mounting criticism of NIH's relationship with the alcohol industry” · View on HN

beachstartupFeb 2014Recommends

▶ this video i'm not sure if you're being serious but it'll take longer than 20 miutes, more like 6 hours. this isn't a simple topic but the new science on it is compelling.

in “What will health nuts eat on Super Bowl Sunday? Nuts” · View on HN

dswilkersonJan 2025Cites it

Fasting puts your cells into a "clean out the junk" mode that is quite powerful for deleting stuff, including cancer. That is, rather that being passive, fasting is quite active and uniquely potent. I had a lump in my throat near my vocal chords that I was told was a standard response to acid reflux and was inoperable. It was there for 15 years and hurt whenever I would sing. I did a 20 day fast last summer and just happened to have it examined and photographed before and after. Before the fast it was there and after it was completely gone. Valter Longo is one of the world's experts on fasting. You might want to read this article of his on fasting and cancer: [link] ____ Starvation, Stress Resistance, and Cancer Roberta Buono, Valter D. Longo Dysregulated metabolism is one of the emerging hallmarks of cancer cells. Differential stress resistance (DSR) and differential stress sensitization (DSS) responses are the mechanisms caused by fasting and fasting-mimicking diet (FMDs) to promote protection of normal cells and induce cancer cell death. Fasting-dependent reduction in glucose and IGF-1 mediates part of the DSR and DSS effects. Fasting and FMDs have the potential for applications in both cancer prevention and treatment. ____ Either Longo or another fasting researcher pointed out that you can make a level of chemotherapy where none of the rats that are not fasting live and where all of the rats that are fasting live. So fasting is a powerful alteration of cells that makes th

in “Ask HN: A friend has brain cancer: any bio hacks that worked?” · View on HN

Topics & tags

Nutrition & diet scienceMedicine & infectious diseaseobesityinsulin resistancefastinglow carbjason fung