Insulin and Obesity

When speaking about  obesity and type 2 Diabetes insulin resistance is the problem.  Elevated blood sugar is the symptom not the cause.  Much of focus in recent years has been on treating the symptom and not the cause.  The world literature on obesity and diabetes is voluminous and often contradictory. But what is known for sure is that calorie restriction i.e. most diets have a failure rate of around 98%. Any one who has tried any of the fad diets of the last 40 years knows this to be true. Giving drugs to increase insulin production when the real  problem is to much insulin is irrational, sort of liking giving alcohol to an alcoholic to treat their addiction.  Two thousand years of medical progress indicates that the best results are obtained when the cause of a disease is elucidated and treated.  Treating symptoms is sometimes the best that we can do, but to only treat symptoms when the cause of disease is known is poor practice.  High insulin levels that result from insulin resistance are usually associated with metabolic syndrome.  The metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions involving excess weight and girth, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol and triglycerides. But insulin resistance is also associated with other problems like Type 2 Diabetes, fatty liver and cirrhosis.  
A few biochemical facts are in order.  Glucose and fat are the main sources of energy for the body.   Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta cells in the pancreas. Insulin circulates in the blood and controls many cellular functions foremost of which is the regulation of glucose as energy.  All carbohydrates that we eat are turned into glucose.  The rate this happens is fairly important and is measured by the glycemic index.  Foods with a high glycemic index get turned into glucose quickly and visa versa.  The Zone diet is one which aims to avoid foods with a high glycemic index.  Trying to smooth out insulin release and avoid spikes in insulin  (which is the response to sudden spikes in glucose levels) is also rational. However it may not be the best way to treat insulin resistance. A lot has been written about the paleo diet.  This is also a low carbohydrate higher protein and fat diet.  What is not mentioned often is that the paleo diet was also characterized by frequent periods of low food availability, i.e. fasting.  There is much to be said about fasting.  Dr Jason Fung has been touting the real and measurable benefits of fasting for some time. 
Fasting is an effective way to decrease insulin levels.  It seems clear that food raises insulin and no food should lower it.  The body turns to fat for energy in as little as 24- 36 hours.  Alternate daily fasting has been proposed as a way to increase insulin sensitivity i.e. lower insulin resistance.  Another benefit of fasting is increased growth hormone production.  GH helps preserve muscle mass and increases the bodies use of fat as fuel. Fasting is an overlooked tool for weight loss and the most effective treatment for insulin resistance I am aware of.  It is of historical interest that most of the worlds religions have included fasting as a tool for enlightenment and practiced by the founders.