So I'm reading some GCBC again ...

... and on p. 408 of my Sony ebook version (this will not coincide with the hard copy, but it is after the glycerol 3P section), Taubes writes:

By the mid-1960's, four facts had been established beyond reasonable doubt:  

(1) Carbohydrates are singularly responsible for prompting insulin secretion.

(2) Insulin is singularly responsible for inducing fat accumulation.

(3) Dietary carbohydrates are required for excess fat accumulation.

(4) Both Type 2 diabetics and the obese have abnormally elevated levels of circulating insulin and a "greatly exaggerated" insulin response to carbohydrates in the diet ...

Note the wording "facts".  Kinda hard to use the weasely "it's a hypothesis" defense for all the misinformation when one words things this way.  But let's consider these in order:

(1) We know this isn't true, protein elicits an insulin response.  Furthermore fats have been shown to at least amplify insulin responses by, for example, stimulating GLP-1.

(2) Insulin is key regulator in the Fatty Acid/Triglyceride cycle, but when you think about it, aside from moving glucose into the fat cells, it is not heavily involved in policing the entry door.  This appears to be ASP which itself can stimulate glucose uptake.  Insulin does have an indirect role in this as it has been shown to increase ASP activity approximately 2-fold, but this is a much lower response than to chylomicrons (dietary fat).  Fat accumulation (net flow in) occurs each and every time fat is ingested.  Whether or not it stays accumulated depends on energy requirements.   Eat too much, gain fat mass.  Simple.  Taubes acknowledges the continual nature of the FFA/trig cycle then goes on to make absolute statements of how the fat is "trapped" in the fat cells.  How can as much as 60% of mobilized fat get re-esterified to triglycerides in a continuous cycle be explained??  If you eat too much fat it will stay in the fat cells, and if it is mobilized, elevated NEFA/FFA are NOT a good thing!

(3)  Patently false.  Since Fred Hahn is advocating dietary experiments over at weightology at the moment, I've got one for him and Gary.  Drink 5000 cals of olive oil a day  and protein to meet needs for a few weeks.  Report back on your fat mass.

(4)  True, but they also have elevated NEFA's!