Susan Yager

I was hoping for a fun romp through the crazy fad diets of the last several hundred years. This exists for the first couple of chapters, but it really quite short on each diet. Nevertheless, this part is pretty interesting and a good discussion of dieting culture: "most Americans truly had no clue how to eat anymore"

And then, a rant about obesity in America, with no reference to the fact that it could be related to that one, extremely insightful quote. Or to the fact that yoyo dieting leaves most people heavier than they started, which Yager even discusses, but does not in anyway connect to her hundred page rant about obesity. (By the way, in case you're living on the moon, obesity is a problem in America, and this is somehow thought to be novel enough to be worth several chapters.)

And then I got even more frustrated as the last three chapters where Yager is completely credulous about organic food and says crazy stuff like organic food is inherently healthier, eating organic will make Americans more conscious about their food choices and that modern Americans don't diet anymore and that the obesity problem is going to be solved as Americans choose to eat organic. Seriously, talk about living on the moon, or at least in her non-food desert, upper middle class, Whole Foods-going bubble.

And then she hit a nerve when she tied in the hemolytic uremic syndrome outbreak of 2009 into "Americans not being aware enough of food" and being too willing to buy "cheap food." I personally took care of several patients during the outbreak and to blame their illness on their (smart, caring, insightful and upper-middle class) parents who apparently are at fault for buying hamburger meat really rankled.… (altro)

I was interested in this book because I am in the middle of a medically supervised diet plan to try to take off the last few decade's worth of excess weight. I don't recall how I had slipped onto the road to obesity in middle age, but I do remember the half measures I'd tried to get myself off of it on my own. It seemed clear that it was all a matter of more powerful forces than an individual could comprehend unaided.
This is a survey through all the attempts to discourage Americans from growing obese, sometimes on scientific principles, sometimes not, starting in the 19th century. The most revealing aspect was to see the way the same ideas would come around a generation or two later. It points to the current-day understanding that appetite and metabolism is controlled by a complicated interplay of many factors, difficult to codify in a simple diet that suits the lifestyle of today.
In the second half of the book, they described a number of weight-loss medications which came into vogue in the last few decades. Besides these, there were also the synthetic foods and additives marketed by the food industry with the ultimate goal of increasing profits. The topic has all become harder for an average consumer to navigate without help, and this book is a good way to gain a perspective on how we have all gotten to this state.… (altro)

Synopsis: A nonfiction book that looks at how American's have been looking at weight and diets historically with the major focus on views since World War I

My rating:
4/5

Overall I enjoyed this book and found it insightful and interesting. The book was approximately 250 pages and there were times it became repetitive or I was ready for the topic to move forward before it did. I think this is something I find often occurs in nonfiction presumably because an author is trying to reiterate their points. The repetition and occasional dragging of the book didn't significantly hinder my enjoyment.

This book looks at the primary diets we use today and their origins. Not surprisingly most of the diets in use are diets that were created long ago. They are re-branded, repackaged, and tweaked however they are more or less the same. Rest assured that all diets work, to a degree, assuming you can follow them. Sadly, for the vast majority of people making a dietary lifestyle change to maintain weightless over the lifespan proves too great a sacrifice. While many people enter restrictive diets with enthusiasm most realize, after a time, that they can't comply with harsh restrictions but that those restrictions are required to lose and maintain weight loss.

This book looks at trends, statistics, and origins of diets. I think it is eye opening and worth the read for anyone struggling with their weight though they may be disheartened to learn that the author doesn't have a concrete answer on the best diet for weight loss. While there is no magic reveal about the best diet for weight loss I believe that reading this book will make dieters more knowledgeable consumers which is valuable.

If you are planning to diet at some point in your life I recommend reading this book. The insights given are valuable even if the answer to the diet question remains elusive.… (altro)