How breathing and metabolism are interconnected (and where does fat goes when losing weight)

Ruben Meerman shares his knowledge in this TED talk on how to breathe yourself thin by explaining where fat goes when you lose weight.

Better known to aussie kids as the Surfing Scientist, Ruben has and appeared on Australian television shows to educate the public on science topics and published in the British Medical Journal, author also of the book "Big Fat Myths".

He surveyed 150 doctors, dieticians and personal trainers and asked them what where fat goes when losing weight; and what many think happens is impossible, because fat can not turn into energy, since it’s made of atoms.

The enlightening facts about fat metabolism, accordingly to Ruben, is that fat is converted to carbon dioxide and water. You exhale the carbon dioxide and the water mixes into your circulation until it’s lost as urine or sweat. If you lose 10kg of fat, precisely 8.4kg comes out through your lungs and the remaining 1.6kg turns into water. In other words, nearly all the weight we lose is exhaled.


So if fat turns into carbon dioxide, could simply breathing more make you lose weight? Unfortunately not. Huffing and puffing more than you need to is called hyperventilation and will only make you dizzy, or possibly faint. The only way you can consciously increase the amount of carbon dioxide your body is producing is by moving your muscles.

The Social Dilemma

The Social Dilemma is a Netflix documentary-drama hybrid that explores the dangerous human impact of social networking, with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations. It focuses on how big social media companies manipulate users by using algorithms that encourage addiction to their platforms. It also shows, fairly accurately, how platforms harvest personal data to target users with ads – and have so far gone largely unregulated.

Worth to watch 'till the last second!