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Science

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erronis

(19,246 posts)
Sat Apr 12, 2025, 11:56 AM Apr 12

When You Lose Weight, Where Does It Actually Go? [View all]

https://scitechdaily.com/when-you-lose-weight-where-does-it-actually-go/


Surprisingly, when you lose weight, you’re literally breathing out fat in the form of carbon dioxide. This process accounts for the vast majority of weight loss, debunking common myths among even health experts about fat transformation. Credit: SciTechDaily.com


Most health professionals lack a clear understanding of how body fat is lost, often subscribing to misconceptions like fat converting to energy or muscle.

The truth is, fat is actually broken down into carbon dioxide and water, with the majority of the lost fat being exhaled as carbon dioxide. This insight is crucial for understanding the real mechanics behind weight loss and dispelling common myths.
Unveiling Weight Loss Misconceptions

The world is obsessed with weight loss and fad diets, yet few people actually understand where fat goes when we lose weight.

Even among 150 doctors, dietitians, and personal trainers we surveyed, this knowledge gap was surprisingly common. The most widespread myth was that fat is converted into energy. However, this idea contradicts the law of conservation of matter, which all chemical reactions obey.

Some respondents believed fat transforms into muscle, which is impossible, while others assumed it exits through the digestive system. In reality, only three people in our survey got the correct answer. That means 98% of these health professionals couldn’t accurately explain how weight loss works.

. . .


Fascinating. (At least to me...)

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