I could have sworn that Taubes addressed studies done on prisoners and weight gain in the 50s -- when I get caught up on my reading, I'll reread it.

I don't think there's a "free ride" either, but I don't think a 400 slab of cake has the same effect on my weight as a 3 egg omelette with four slices of bacon either. The quality of my calories seems to make a lot more difference than the quantity.

That's why I brought up my kids -- the calories they take in don't seem to have much effect on their weight or muscle composition. However, the one who eats the most carb dense food is, by far, the heaviest. The one who eats the most calories, by far, is the most thin. The other two don't eat much in the way of vegetables or fruit, but the one who eats the fewest carbs is, by far, the most muscular.

I understand that anecdotes aren't data, but I find the whole thing of how our bodies actually process the incoming energy very interesting, and my kids are just good examples of same basic diet opportunities, extremely different body types.