Why We Get Fat, Book Review

I recently finished a book that has gotten several mainstream reviews and I thought I would share some of the highlights of it with you. I am constantly trying to read. (trying is the key work with 3 small children).

"Why We Get Fat and What to do about it" by Gary Taubes.

He is the author of another similar and very good book, "Good Calories, Bad Choices" although I found "Why we get Fat" easier to read.

The book goes into very good detail on what went wrong with the American Diet and what we can do about it. He not only provides great research and evidence to his opinion that fat is not all that bad, but he is able to do it in a way that is easy to read while at the same time providing "hard scientific evidence". He does a terrific job mixing science with everyday current thinking. The book provides great insight to the link between the obesity epidemic and low fat diets that began being promoted in the late 70's to early 80's.

This is not a book bashing one type of diet versus another, it is merely a book explaining how it all went terribly wrong with poor research and a loss of traditional eating focus. Gary Taubes demonstrates that fat is not the culprit of obesity but poor calorie choices and a "fear" for high fat foods is. He also does a wonderful job explaining why some people are naturally lean and others just "look" at food and gain weight.

The last key point is his take on Insulin. He describes it perfectly to the "average person" and explains how this is the ONE hormone YOU have total control of and the ONE that can lead to a multitude of diseases when it goes out of control.

Check this book out for a quick, easy, and educational read.