INS and obesity disorder: A similar result was found in a population-based longitudinal study carried out in Portugal, which assessed the nutritional status outcome of children aged four years old at baseline after three years, and found that protein consumption was significantly associated with a higher BMI both in boys and girls.(20) This phenomenon is justified by the fact that excessive protein intake can stimulate insulin secretion as well as IGF 1, which is a growth factor similar to insulin, and both contribute to increased adipogenesis and differentiation of adipocytes, thus inducing obesity.(21)