Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It
Encyclopedia
Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It is a 2010 book by science writer Gary Taubes
. Following Taubes’s 2007 book Good Calories, Bad Calories
, in which he argues that the modern diet’s inclusion of too many refined carbohydrates is a primary contributor to the obesity epidemic, he elaborates in Why We Get Fat on how people can change their diets.
, arguing that the consumption of carbohydrates drives the body to release insulin
, which in turn can lead to insulin resistance (and diabetes) over time. Taubes also asserts that the consumption of carbohydrates leads the body to store excess energy in fat cells, but that reducing dietary intake of carbohydrates results in the body entering ketosis
. In this state, the body breaks down fat (triglycerides) in order to fuel the brain.
Although Taubes points out his beliefs regarding consumption of carbohydrates, he clarifies that “this is not a diet book, because it’s not a diet we’re discussing.”
as “a sort of CliffsNotes version” of Taubes’s Good Calories, Bad Calories, resulting in a “particularly intriguing and readable synthesis.”
Gary Taubes
Gary Taubes is an American science writer.He is the author of Nobel Dreams , Bad Science: The Short Life and Weird Times of Cold Fusion , and Good Calories, Bad Calories , titled The Diet Delusion in the UK and Australia. His book Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It was released in December...
. Following Taubes’s 2007 book Good Calories, Bad Calories
Good Calories, Bad Calories
Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health is a 2007 book by science journalist Gary Taubes. Taubes argues that the last few decades of dietary advice promoting low-fat diets has been consistently incorrect...
, in which he argues that the modern diet’s inclusion of too many refined carbohydrates is a primary contributor to the obesity epidemic, he elaborates in Why We Get Fat on how people can change their diets.
Synopsis
Analyzing anthropological evidence and modern scientific literature, Taubes contends that the common “calories in, calories out” model of why we get fat is incorrect. Instead, Taubes promotes a low-carbohydrate dietLow-carbohydrate diet
Low-carbohydrate diets or low-carb diets are dietary programs that restrict carbohydrate consumption usually for weight control or for the treatment of obesity. Foods high in digestible carbohydrates are limited or replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of proteins and fats...
, arguing that the consumption of carbohydrates drives the body to release insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
, which in turn can lead to insulin resistance (and diabetes) over time. Taubes also asserts that the consumption of carbohydrates leads the body to store excess energy in fat cells, but that reducing dietary intake of carbohydrates results in the body entering ketosis
Ketosis
Ketosis is a state of elevated levels of ketone bodies in the body. It is almost always generalized throughout the body, with hyperketonemia, that is, an elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood. Ketone bodies are formed by ketogenesis when the liver glycogen stores are depleted...
. In this state, the body breaks down fat (triglycerides) in order to fuel the brain.
Although Taubes points out his beliefs regarding consumption of carbohydrates, he clarifies that “this is not a diet book, because it’s not a diet we’re discussing.”
Reception
Harvard pulmonologist Dennis Rosen reviewed Why We Get Fat in a positive light, calling it a “well-researched and thoughtful book.” In The New York Times, Abigail Zugar characterizes Why We Get Fatas “a sort of CliffsNotes version” of Taubes’s Good Calories, Bad Calories, resulting in a “particularly intriguing and readable synthesis.”