The Blood Sugar Hypothesis

I was flipping through the book, "Dr. Perricone's 7 Secrets," at the bookstore the other day.  Perricone's stuff is basically solid, as he acknowledges our hunter-gatherer ancestry.  His books often recommend a lot of supplements and his exercise recommendations are a bit lacking, but there are nuggets of useful information in his books.

There is one point I disagree with him on, and that is the role of blood sugar.  A number of authors say that balancing your blood sugar will solve your weight problems.  This is an oversimplification, as 1) people react to carbohydrates in very different ways, and 2) it doesn't mention the importance of exercise in controlling body composition.

The blood sugar hypothesis says that as you balance your blood sugar and insulin, you will lose fat.  If this were true, then I should be shredded beyond belief because I have low blood glucose and my fasting insulin level is less than 5.  The blood sugar hypothesis also can't explain why there are people who are obese, yet have low insulin levels. 

What's most likely happening is that blood sugar levels are the primary regulator of weight for a subset of the population.  There is probably a sizeable group out there who, once they balance their blood sugar, will lose weight.  The rest of the population is less affected by this mechanism.