> I think [weight gain or loss] *is* a function of caloric intake, plus a
function
of body's requirements and ability to burn.

This idea has been so ingrained in our thoughts about diet that it's hard to
examine rationally.  There is no denying the fact that, all things being equal,
a food with higher caloric content will cause an increase in body fat (or a
reduction in the rate of fat loss).  But think about this for a minute.  As
you've stated before, wheat is very, very low in caloric content.  So how in the
world could it cause obesity?!  Because it's a foreign protein that humans
simply cannot digest.  The body retains fat from other foods we eat as a defense
against the indigestible grain.

It's not that caloric intake doesn't matter to the modern hunter gatherer.  But
calorie counting matters much, much more to those on a "normal", grain-based
diet.  You have two options: reduction in fat intake and/or an increase in
physical activity.  But by reducing the fat, grain eaters reduce the body's
ability to protect itself against the foreign proteins in grain.  Which is why
most healthy looking folks overdo the second option and devote their lives to
exercise.

Jim Swayze