A similar conclusion to SALT, SUGAR, FAT by Michael Moss as to why American obesity rates are skyrocketing: the food just TASTES TOO DAMN GOOD.

To find a time when things were different, we don't have to go back to hunter-gatherer times - although Guyenet does; we spend a hypothetical day with a few hypothetical members of a non-hypothetical tribe of East Africa, who eat a certain fibrous tuber as a mainstay of their diet. You chew the flesh and then spit out the pithy stuff. It's not very good. Nobody's very excited about it. Likewise until 20th century convenience foods and ubiquitous restaurant cooking, you had to eat your own household's cooking. I'm betting that often wasn't very good either.

It wasn't Oreos. It wasn't Big Macs. Now it is. Mmmmmmm.

This particular book is about the brain science behind metabolism, hunger cues, etc. Along the lines of the main thesis I've described above, his biggest weight loss tip is to eat food that isn't very good. Of course you'll eat less of it, for starters; but it may also have some effect on the brain, and on the levels of something called leptin, to expose yourself less often to the utter deliciousness that is the American supermarket diet.

(He doesn't phrase it as "eat food that isn't very good." He calls it "simple food.")

But nooooooooooooo I refuse to give up deliciousness. That said, point taken, and it's always good advice to eat simple food close to the source.

One surprising thing I bookmarked was his allegation that we tend to put on most of our yearly weight gain as a result of the extended holiday season. I always thought that what you did the majority of the year would far outweigh some indulgence at the end; but maybe I'm not really admitting to how lengthy the holiday season is in proportion to the year as a whole. Anyway, to avoid upward creep of poundage, he says to focus on strategies to minimize holiday overeating.

I thought those were a couple of unique tips. ( )

This captivating account of the causes of obesity deserves your full attention, especially if you are considered obese like I am. With a height of 5 feet 8 inches and a weight of 233 lbs, my BMI sits at 35.4. That is the main reason that I picked up this book, but I am also interested in a lot of different things. Doctor Stephen Guyenet goes over the things that make people obese point by point. From the overabundance of calorie-rich foods that our brains consider rewarding to the brain chemistry and genetics underlying our choices, Dr. Guyenet leaves no stone unturned.

While the book discusses the causes of obesity, it also discusses how to combat it. The end of the book contains six pieces of advice relevant to losing inches on your waistline. Even though I got this from the library, I would certainly buy a copy if only to distribute it to my friends and family. ( )

Very interesting explanation of how biology, particularly the brain, works through various systems to prevent weight loss. No wonder it is so difficult! ( )