Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It

This is a very interesting and well written book. Don't be confused into thinking this is a diet book full of recipes and detailed meal plans. This is for those who actually want to understand the reasons behind why some people get fat, and why others don't. Once you understand it, you should be far better equipped to decide for yourself what to eat and what not to eat. The basic message of the book, and this is stated within the first few pages, so I don't think I'm giving too much away here, is this: Carbohydrates, especially those refined carbohydrates and starchy foods which have entered into the human diet only very recently in evolutionary terms, are the primary causes for why we get fat, and increase our risks of getting modern western diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity. This view, as the author makes very clear, is contrary to the current views on nutrition held by most health authorities worldwide, who advocate diets high in carbohydrate and low in fat, and who believe that the best way to lose weight and reduce risk of western diseases is to reduce one's calorie intake and increase one's calorie expenditure via exercise. At least half of the book is dedicated to presenting a series of arguments to support the author's view and debunk the views of health authorities. What is perhaps most profound about this book, is that the arguments the author makes, which I personally find very convincing, are not plucked out of thin air, they are based on uncontroversial science that already exists, and large scale scientific studies. The author explains in some detail the established science behind how carbohydrates affect levels of insulin in our bodies and the knock on effects this has. Also, rather than just cherry picking the studies which support his views, the author also addresses studies which do not, and explains why he believes they do not. This unbiased approach, I believe, adds credibility to his arguments. I personally find it hard to dispute the conclusions drawn by the author - his arguments are based in scientific fact, and are both simple and logical. But read it for yourself - he's not forcing you into believing him, he presents his arguments and you are free to draw your own conclusions. Overall I found this book not just an informative book about the science of how and why we get fat, but an incredibly eye opening and thought provoking account of how the so called experts and authorities on nutrition have gotten it so wrong. I would definitely recommend others to read this book - not just people trying to lose weight, but also those who are interested in the history and evolution of science, and especially anyone in the field of health and nutrition who doesn't mind having their established beliefs challenged.

If you are like me, you like to read a cross-section of reviews. Positive reviews, after all, rarely say anything about the negatives of a product. The negatives about this book will often say "Oh, this is just Atkins rehashed". It isn't. This isn't a diet book; it's a book about nutritional science. The negatives will also tell you that Taubes has been debunked; he hasn't been. One or two cite the China Study, a promotion of vegetarian / vegan diet that has been debunked as bad science. Many will tell you "there are no long term studies..." And some will tell you that this is rubbish because X diet (usually the "balanced" diet) is obviously the healthy one, so anything that contradicts that must be bunk. This is not a diet book; it's a book about nutritional science. Despite the advances in scientific method over the last century, nutritional science is still in its infancy. There are very few long term studies of any sort of diet. Such studies need decades before they can make any justifiable conclusions. As Taubes suggests, many studies seem to focus on one particular aspect of diet, apparently without taking into account how that aspect can be affected by other factors in diet or general environment. Finally, scientists are just as prone to narrow-mindedness as anyone else, despite their supposed rationality. No-one likes finding out that everything they've learnt, believed in, and have built their professional lives around is, in fact, bunk. Einstein was ridiculed in some quarters when he proposed his theories of Relativity. It turns out he was right (mostly). Taubes is not a scientist. He's a science journalist. That doesn't make him more or less qualified to lay down dietary law. He undoubtedly has his beliefs - they're here in this book. Is he right, is he wrong? There are many opinions about nutrition, but this is a book well worth reading. Taubes makes many interesting points in it. The main one is that, given that agriculture was invented only an evolutionary eye-blink ago, we could not have evolved eating the "balanced" diet of largely grain-based carbs that has only held sway since the 60's. Will it change the way you eat? Perhaps. There are many positive reviews that will tell you how great people feel having changed their habits. They out-weigh the negatives. What it should do is make you THINK. Some of the more intelligent negatives point out that there are many facts inconvenient to Taubes' view that he leaves out. This is also true. But he does present a lot of information worth thinking about. In the end, it comes down to do your own research, make up your own mind. This book offers you a lot of information; well presented, easily understandable; that is well outside of the standard, anodyne, saccharine nutritional advice that you normally are offered. Read this with an open mind, investigate, experiment, draw your own conclusions. But don't dismiss this. It IS worth your time & money.

As a professional in the health and fitness industry I enjoy reading these books like fiction, but I like looking for those books which anyone can enjoy and understand! And this is one of them... Gary Taubes puts forward his message in a practiced, concise and enlightening way. He focuses his message on refined/ starchy carbohydrates elevating insulin levels and keeping you fat or making you fatter. He has built and constructed his argument well and sheds a lot of light on; * The flaw in science behind calories in Vs calories out, and how the real results are in the management of insulin. * How the foods we have been told are healthy (refined/ starchy carbohydrates) are actually detrimental to our health. How this used to be common wisdom up to the 1960's (and the dietary fat causes heart disease hypothesis) * How we have been misguided by poor science and (Un)healthy campaigns and how this has contributed to a obesity epidemic. * Then finally how to put into practice a lifestyle free of refined/ starchy carbohydrates. This book is great for making it easy to understand the effect of refined/ starchy carbohydrates on insulin and the effect insulin has on our weight. It also provides a detailed account on the history of dietary advice and how it hasn't always been in our best interest. If you have found this review helpful please check out [...] for further reviews.

I've previously pondered the subject of this book - thinking that there must be more to it than the more traditional advice we are given about fat loss. If it were as 'simple' as calories-in Vs Calories-out then how come so many struggle with it? This book covers most of the questions I had wondered about and gives answers ... but more importantly for me, it gives the answer as to what to do about it. Something different to 'you are failing because you are too weak willed and not good enough at calorie counting, or doing enough exercise.' Some of the writing is a little technical, but generally not too bad - so I got through the book in only a few days (unusual for me). The ultimate test is that having read it - and applying this methodology of what to eat, I have already lost weight. 4 lbs in week one and almost at the end of week 2 .... I'm sure more has come off but am waiting until the week is done to weigh myself. My clothes are looser still .... so happy with the way things are headed. I've not gone hungry and still managed my twice weekly mountain biking, without any huge energy issue (having cut out carbs). I am very interested to see if this book gains wider knowledge over time, to then change the usual advice given to those wishing to lose weight, since it appears we have all been told the wrong information for too long, Gary Taubes also has some useful lectures on-line covering some of this material. I'm now reading - The art & science of low carbohydrate performance - to see if it gives further refinements of what to eat to allow my mountain biking to further improve - but it seems this way of eating will actually provide athletes with MORE useable energy stores, than the traditional carb-loading option. So - very happy to have discovered this book and it's recommended plan.

Shifting paradigms (fundamental ways of thinking) seems to have become a way of life for me, at least over the last 12 months. This is basically what Gary Taubes is attempting to do. Having had stents fitted after a heart attack nearly 11 months ago I was left several months later wondering how the hell I was going to recover from feeling as though I was getting older by the day, piling on even more weight (I had gone up from about 15st 4lbs (214 pounds) to 16-2 (226 pounds)), forgetful and unable to concentrate. In the excess weight stakes I appreciate that I am relatively low, but never the less the same principles apply. The hospital had put me on 5 tablets a day and my local GP had continued repeating the tablet prescription which of course included statins (Lipitor). To cut a long story short I asked my GP if he would help me come off at least the statins. "They are for life' was his response. I had already started my own 'lay' research into the statins for I was aware of some controversy in their use. This I continued after my visit to the GP until I bought a number of books on cholesterol and saturated fats. The two seemed to go together but I eventually ended up at Gary Taubes book, and subsequently listened to the audio of this title. Being armed with his research added considerably to what I had learnt from Barry Groves and initially Malcolm Kendrick (on cholesterol). Sufficiently so that I decide to take things into my own hands, reduce the statins and embark on a low carb regime and increasing my fats (especially saturated fats). You will appreciate at this point some pretty hefty life long beliefs being thrown out the window here. I had had another visit to my GP which had ended up a bit of a battle on the good advice stakes, resulting in my totally losing confidence - but leaving me feeling rather vulnerable to say the least. Belief in a doctors advice when your life? seemed at stake?? Shifting paradigms I would suggest. His extensive research has kept me hopeful during a difficult period. More than that. I have lost 27 pounds. I have lost the spasms of eczema which had bothered me for around 5 years. I am now far fitter, think more clearly and have embarked on a mission. I also believe that forms of stress have a part to play in all this for if we were perfectly attuned with our bodies (which we are rarely) then we would naturally sense what was good for us. I know that this puts a 'cat amongst the pigeons' but this should surely be part of much needed further research. If the reader wants to start at the beginning with the guy who in Victorian times incredulously said similar things to Gary Taubes then look up William Banting on Google. His book about what a low carb diet did for him sold for a shilling, it went to 4 editions and he gave the proceeds all to charity! There must be, a great deal more to this story to come. Many lives must be at stake! There are over 300 reviews to Gary Taubes book on Amazon.com and over 200 of them have 5 stars. Personally I believe that little further research is required to get the ball really moving, not until there are many more on board, and I am convinced that it will come, can a comprehensive research programme be initiated. There are many many many health issues here, indeed it has the potential to rewrite the medical books. Like all 'medicines', this is not for all or all at the same dose but I believe that there are many millions who would get benefit from finding their own 'lower' carb regime and to benefit so many ways not just weight loss. Further reading (again I bought the audio version coz the paperback isn't due out yet) is Wheat Belly ' where the author puts the issue firmly at the feet of mega over indulgence of modern day refined wheat products. Genuinely best wishes to all who need that little help, many of you will find it here.

This was an eye-opening read and the illustrations were very good indeed. The photo of the diabetic woman who had been injecting insulin into her thighs--causing those thighs to swell into monstrous proportions--how could that *not* convince someone of insulin being the cause of weight gain, since it's the main hormone that makes fat accumulate in the body? This is absolutely required reading for anyone interested in the *science* behind low-carb diets, so that they can understand the basics. And since Taubes isn't a doctor and doesn't have a diet book to sell, but rather a scientific journalist, he is a pretty damn good source on this stuff. The only thing I would have wanted to see in the book would have been a guide on how to make a low-carb eating lifestyle possible (he only gave a few hints), but that's up to the low-carb diet book writers, I suppose. Speaking of whom, I would, myself, recommend Michael and Mary Dan Eades' Protein Power over all other books, ever. It came out in the mid-Nineties, so do yourself a favour and grab one of those off Amazon's used books section, since copies of that sell for only a couple of cents--that book saved my life and I hope it will save yours as well. But, yes, Taubes has done great work here when it comes to presenting the basics of the insulin vs. calorie theory, and proving the latter utterly wrong. Get this book, get this book for your friends, family, to make them finally stop feeling guilty for piling on the pounds. It's not their fault, but the fault of the calorie theory and the carbohydrates. I can't recommend this highly enough. A big thumbs up to Taubes for saying like it is!

A well argued case for the thesis that obesity is not caused by overheating nor is it caused by a lack of physical exercise. Taubes manages to make it perfectly clear that the reason that some of us are overweight is because the hormones and enzymes that govern our fat cells are not working in the same way that they are working for other people. Fatness and obesity exist solely because we are genetically programmed to store energyrather than burn it off immediately. For most of us there is a solution. The idea is to manage the hormone secretion that is within our control: insulin. Taubes makes a most convincing argument and adroitly parries the typical ripostes that conventional understanding throws in the faces of those of us who suffer from this condition. The first time I read it I felt tears of frustration welling up. Had I known this information when I was much younger, who is to say how different my life might have been. Gary Taubes deserves the thanks of so many people for making this information public and putting it so easily within the understanding of even the nonscientific reader. God knows that there are a huge amount of books that are marketed at people who suffer from obesity. However, in my opinion there is no book which is anywhere near as good as this.

I bought this book partly out of curiosity, and also because its knowledge could inform my diet for the purposes of athletic activities. I have read the book in its entirety, and with care over a period of several months - some reviewers claim to be able to comment upon a reading in one sitting. Since I cannot sit for 120 hours or so at a time, I would not make that claim. I should preface this review by saying that I am particularly skeptical about books of this sort: those that are readily available, lay press items purporting to provide answers to those niggling questions that arise in all of us: why are we fatter than we'd like to be? how do we find a partner? how can we make more money? etc...You will get a critical review from me as a lay reader with no competing interests, and only his own body with which to put dietary amendments to the test. The book begins concisely, with the author quickly laying bare his special claim: chiefly that excessive consumption of carbohydrates, particularly those that are easily digestible, are significantly responsible for excess adiposity. This is good, because unlike some books of this ilk, one is held for innumerate pages before 'the truth' is finally released. However, it is almost as if it has been written with Amazon's Introduction-/First Chapter-only preview in mind, since thereafter it rapidly shifts to a lower level of literary competence and engagement. The principle problem with the book is that it is poorly edited: I should think I could reduce it to around 100 pages and it would be more cogent, cheaper to produce and a better read. The presumption that one requires 300-odd pages to make a decent book is ill-founded. One finds oneself struggling with the boredom of reading its waffling prose - featuring constant reminders of what was covered in the previous chapters as an example - to irritatingly have their consciousness reawakened periodically by a juicy nugget of new knowledge. The secondary problem with the book is that it develops into an increasingly polemical work, whereby the 'excessive simple carbohydrates' that were originally the problem, become 'fattening carbohydrates' toward the end. It also appears to exclude relevant knowledge due to the author's ignorance, without due acknowledgement of this deficiency: there is scant discussion of the relevance of exercise to diet and body composition, and it is virtually written off as a waste of time - almost merely as a calorie expenditure process - from the point of view of fat loss, which it is not (merely). It may be true to say that a person predisposed to obesity and who is consuming a great deal of simple carbohydrate will fail to see fat loss whilst engaging in an exercise program maintainable by the average person, but it would conversely be fair to say that someone not predisposed to obesity, who consumes carbohydrates in moderation, and then engages in frequent exercise will lose fat, steadily. So what we might conclude is that, other conditions being favourable - genetics and diet - greater and more rapid fat loss will take place in the presence of exercise. This is a moderate and reasonable proposition, the sort that at first Taubes presents on carbohydrate consumption in relation to adiposity. It is reductionist, and I would argue plainly wrong to villify carbohydrates in the manner in which Taubes does so toward the end. There is also a remarkably shallow analysis of the justification for the typical Western diet, in that it omits a discussion of food in relation to economics. Instead, Taubes presents the justification for the typical, high carbohydrate diet as the product of what appears to be the rather arcane and petty disagreements between medical counsels and nutritionists. This neglects to attend to the most major reason (I believe) why carbohydrates make up the base of our diet - Taubes makes a one-liner of it: they are cheap. Lean meat and fish require a greater area, time, and space to produce than crops. Thus the world may be fed more cheaply and easily on the produce of crops, particularly those which provide energy densely. Yes, we may be more likely to get ill if we overly rely on them, but America, one might say, was made off the back of farming the Plains, and doing away with the vast reservations required so that a relatively small number of Indians might survive otherwise. I make this point without political loyalty, social bent or environmental consideration. This leads me onto my next criticism: Taubes similarly dismisses willpower in a line as "whatever that is". As someone who eats functionally, that is, in accordance with my requirements for athletic performance, I would say that will is possibly the most significant dietary 'intervention' that one can make in maintaing an appropriate level of adiposity. Willpower determines whether one will be arsed to read his book in the hope of actively doing something about their adiposity, whether they will practise an instrument, do a job well, in short anything that (ironically) involves the expenditure of energy. Having a good diet and healthy lifestyle is not accidental; it requires directed effort and educated actions. It is not easy, and if one is not sufficiently motivated, it will not happen. It is also a matter of priority. Some people would sooner spend £21,000, rather than £18,000 on a new car in order that it be fitted with accessories, rather than increase their lean meat and fish intake by £2-300 a year for the lifetime of said car. The good news is that in general, since most of the carbohydrates we consume do not satiate us, unlike the more expensive proteinous foods, when we consume the later, we need less to become satiated. Alcohol is extremely expensive, and yet we easily write off several £100 to it each year as 'just a drink' as if it were some basic nutrient. When we buy food, we are prone, as we are consumers with everything, to seek value - more for less - and when we look to fill ourselves up cheaply, we invariably consume too much carbohydrate - bread, pasta and pastries typically - without regard for the price of doing so. As with anything, good costs money and better costs more: why should food be any different? I think deep down most of us know this stuff; Taubes's writing comes across as somewhat paternalistic and as if he were exposing something new, yet even ten years ago in my state school cookery class (read 'establishment' disseminating 'the standard' nutritional knowledge) we were taught that carbs were for energy, fibre created a healthy challenge to digestion, protein was for growth and repair, and fat was there to lubricate the process and provide energy when it was in short supply. Broadly speaking, I have lived via this knowledge and I am healthful. It does not take a rocket scientist to put two and two together and see that excess energy (carbs) would be stored as fat (adiposity) and be released (only) as necessary. There are all sorts of finer points - hormone regulation for example - and exceptions to this 'truth' but it is in the main correct, and I know so by my own semi-consciously monitored, but nonetheless anecdotal, experience. Taubes neglects to tackle adequately whether, since carbs are high in energy content relative to other food types, it is in fact the elimination of carbs and therefore excess calories that yields a reduction in adiposity. In summary, I have provided criticisms of the book, via which hopefully some of its more useful and better points are illuminated. The main thrust of Taubes's book is correct; however, it is verbose, with serious omissions. Had it dealt with such important matters as dietary economics and exercise, and featured a more appropriate, pragmatic conclusion on how to adjust one's own living accordingly, the present 269 pages would have been concise, wise prose. Please forgive me if I have made editorial mistakes - I have no more time to give to this; I only hope that it is helpful.

This book has totally changed my view of food and what to eat. It is well written, concise, informative and supports its conclusions with detailed reference sources. Certainly the best book on food and weight control I have ever read. I am over 60 years of age and have tried other weight control regimes with success, however at the expense of feeling hungry most of the time and having to eat things that I don't really like. I now really understand the physiology of all this and realize that it is not simply a matter of calories in and calories out. This has been quite a revelation and has assisted me in focusing on the key elements of weight control. I am presently reading his other book "good calories, bad calories" which is much more detailed and harder to read. If you want the quick and dirty read "Why we get fat" as is summarizes everything one needs to know in an easy to read and factual manner. I now eat what I like, am not hungry, feel great and am able to easily keep my weight where I want it to be. Highly recommended.

Sehr empfehlenswert. Das Buch ist nicht in "easy english" geschrieben, man (ich) muss sehr aufmerksam lesen, aber ist spannend wie ein Krimi. Ich kann es nicht fassen, dass, nach all den nutzlosen Diät-Jahren (genützt haben sie nur zum stetiges Zunehmen und seelische Fress-Trauma), zu der Weisheit kommen muß, was meine Mutter mir beigebracht hat, und die immer funktioniert hat: "Brot und Kartoffeln blähen. Finger weg!". In dieses Buch lesen wir, unter anderem, das diese Weisheit schon Jahrhunderte da ist und hat immer funktioniert, bis irgendwann einer gesagt hat (in den 1960-1970) "KH sind gut, wir sollen Fettreduziert essen" ... Was für ein Zufall, daß genau da ('70-'80) ging die Fett-Epidemie in den Staaten los! Wir erfahren auch, wer hat die Ernährungspyramide erfunden: die USDA (US Department auf Agriculture-Landwirtsschaftsministerium der USA)! Hier möchte ich Byron J.Richards's Buch zitieren: "EAT LIKE A PYRAMID, LOOK LIKE A PYRAMID". Davor waren alle einig das es die KH sind, die uns dick machen. Das Buch enthält sehr viel Information, hervorragend recherchiert und, wenn ich nicht schon seit drei Monate Zucker und Getreide aufgegeben gehabt hätte, würde ich es jetzt, auf der Stelle, tun. Dieses Buch hat mich nur verstärkt in meine Entscheidung. Wird einleuchtend erklärt warum "Weniger essen, mehr Sport machen" keine dauerhafte Resultate bringen kann. Jetzt habe ich verstanden warum, trotzt jahrelangen, intensivsten Training (wie Box-Schule z.B) niemals meine 5 (nur 5,damals...) lästige Kilos losgeworden bin.. Wenn wir jetzt uns alle so ernähren würden, wie vorgeschlagen (im Grunde das ist eine Steinzeitdiät), würde die ganze Lebensmittelindustrie einbrechen, die Bäckereien würden zumachen müssen, viele Arbeitsplätze würden gefährdet. Also, lieber nicht weiter sagen... ; ) Weitere Bücher, die für Sie interessant sein könnten: The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat von Loren Cordain Das Paläo-Prinzip der gesunden Ernährung im Ausdauersport von Loren Cordain Die Steinzeit-Diät: So kriegen Sie Ihr Fett weg - natürlich fit, schlank und gesund wie vor 200.000 Jahren von Arthur de Vany MASTERING LEPTIN: YOUR GUIDE TO PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS AND OPTIMUM HEALTH By Richards, Byron J.

This book is essentially a shorter and more focused version (layman edition) of “Good Calories, Bad Calories”, which is exhaustive in documenting the research and politics related to obesity, fat in the diet and cholesterol, and how the health establishment consistently has ignored the research in favor of their own preconceived pet theories. This has led to decades of official health organizations giving wrong health and diet advice to the public. “Why we get Fat” presents the argument-supported both by examples and research-that obesity is mainly a function of an imbalance in how calories are used in the body, with the idea that fat people have a strong tendency to automatically direct calories into stored fat, while correspondingly depriving the body of usable energy. Thus fat people are hungry and tired because the bulk of their calories are going into useless fat storage, and not to support the active body. While the individual gets progressively fatter, the body is starved of energy, hungry and tired. To counter this Taubes recommends a meat/fish heavy diet, while eliminating sources of carbohydrates and sugars. Taubes cites many examples of successful weight loss on this diet. It was even common knowledge for centuries until the 1970s, when the establishment bought into the fat phobia theory. Taubes also talks in detail about cholesterol and triglycerides. Whether you agree or not, Taubes stands conventional dietary recommendations on their head. In any case the book is detailed and makes many good arguments. The first half of the book goes more slowly as Taubes lays out the groundwork for his ideas. The second half is better at summarizing his arguments, and providing advice.

I was 80 kg in 2007, but November 2012 I was 95 Kg. I read the “Why we get fat and what to do about it” book and followed the diet very strictly. The first month I lost 7 Kg and the month after 3 Kg with no hunger at all. The following months I lost around 1.2 Kg per month. Now I am 76 Kg :-) The book is fascinating, full of intellectual reasoning and contains the pure truth about why we get fat and what to do about It. A must for all who wants to lose fat. The author is the number one. Thanks Gary Taubes!

Inusitado, instigante e com humor. Agora também em versão traduzida para o português. Uma das melhores publicações sobre o tema.