Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
Summary:
For decades we have been taught that fat is bad for us, carbohydrates better, and that the key to a healthy weight is eating less and exercising more. Yet despite this advice, we have seen unprecedented epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Taubes argues that the problem lies in refined carbohydrates, like white flour, easily digested starches, and sugars, and that the key to good health is the kind of calories we take in, not the number. In this groundbreaking book, award-winning science writer Gary Taubes shows us that almost everything we believe about the nature of a healthy diet is wrong.
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
If You are serious about living healthier, a must read
Customer Rating:
A ton of historical, factual, scientific information that will blow your mind, make you think, change your viewpont, and give you a different perspective on what we eat, how we eat, and what it does for and in our bodies. I could say more, but it's ALL been said by others. I just wanted to add to the positive numbers :)
Dangerously misleading
Customer Rating:
If you want a book that will be good for your heart and help you lose weight, read The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest. Eat less meat not more if you want to live a long healthy life. (None of the cultures mentioned are vegans by the way.) Mr. Taubes may be a persuasive writer, but he is no expert in nutrition.
I will go along with Taubes on a couple of points. Refined carbohydrates and vegetable oil high in omega-6 are not harmless. Most people when they switch to a low fat diet, also increase refined carbs instead of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and beans. This could explain most of the complaints about low fat.
Taubes rejects the lipid hypothesis, even though it is considered a scientific fact by the medical community. He wants you to think he's smarter than the scientists and doctors. Even Chris Masterjohn, who advocates high protein and high fat, believes oxidized LDL causes atherosclerosis. Not everyone who gets heart disease has total cholesterol over 200mg/dL. With over a dozen major risk factors for heart disease it can be hard to know which factor is having the greatest effect. But heart disease just doesn't exist in people with total cholesterol below 150mg/dL. With very little oxidized LDL a total cholesterol value over 200mg/dL might be healthy. With a lot of oxidized LDL a total cholesterol value of 175mg/dL might be too high.
What about people who eat high protein and high fat and remain healthy. Taubes offers the Masai and the Inuit as prime examples. The reason the Masai have low cholesterol levels in spite of eating a lot of saturated fat is because they eat local plants that have a powerful cholesterol lowering property. When they stop eating these plants, their cholesterol goes up and their rate of heart disease goes up. And the Inuit people have lower cholesterol than you would expect for genetic reasons. And they have the worst longevity statistics in North America.
I think 2/3 of Americans are overweight because we eat out more than we used to. The studies say we are eating more fat and total calories than in the past. But Taubes wants you to think it's not the calories. Children especially are sittting and watching television more than they used to. But Taubes wants you to think exercise makes you gain weight.
Taubes book is dangerous especially for anyone who already has heart disease. All he has to offer is constipation, bad breath, flabby muscles, low energy and a shorter life. But people seem to be following him like the pied piper of Hamelin.
Good Calories, Bad Calories
Customer Rating:
Gary Taubes presented a compelling and well- researched book on health and diet. Why it is taking so long for the experts on nutrition and diet to accept it and verify that we must keep our food just like in the very long past, lean, simple, from the earth, shows the force of political and commercial involvement in what should be for the good of all.
Good Calories Bad Calories
Customer Rating:
One of the best books on nutrition I've read in years. Succinctly written, yet thorough. A great historical review of weight management during the past 100 years. A compelling discussion of metabolic syndrome and a convincing argument for treating obesity, diabetes and heart disease as symptoms of one endocrine disorder. Bravo! to G. Taubes for tackling this giant, and for his reasoned, unbiased work.
Best book I've read on modern nutrition debate
Customer Rating:
Overwhelmingly academic at times, this is like a semester long course in the modern nutritional debate, carbs vs. fat vs. protein, etc, etc Great achievement by Mr. Taubes to have written such an exhaustive book. Certainly the most definitive title to-date on nutrition. The only drawback would be that at some points I was overwhelmed with the academic data and detail of his study, but for those inclined it will be great.
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