Why We Get Fat

And What to Do About It

By: Gary Taubes

Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain

Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

An eye-opening, myth-shattering examination of what makes us fat, from acclaimed science writer Gary Taubes.

In his New York Times best seller, Good Calories, Bad Calories, Taubes argued that our diet's overemphasis on certain kinds of carbohydrates - not fats and not simply excess calories - has led directly to the obesity epidemic we face today. The result of thorough research, keen insight, and unassailable common sense, Good Calories, Bad Calories immediately stirred controversy and acclaim among academics, journalists, and writers alike. Michael Pollan heralded it as "a vitally important book, destined to change the way we think about food."

Building upon this critical work in Good Calories, Bad Calories and presenting fresh evidence for his claim, Taubes now revisits the urgent question of what's making us fat - and how we can change - in this exciting new book. Persuasive, straightforward, and practical, Why We Get Fat makes Taubes' crucial argument newly accessible to a wider audience.

Taubes reveals the bad nutritional science of the last century, none more damaging or misguided than the "calories in, calories out" model of why we get fat, and the good science that has been ignored, especially regarding insulin's regulation of our fat tissue. He also answers the most persistent questions: Why are some people thin and others fat? What roles do exercise and genetics play in our weight? What foods should we eat, and what foods should we avoid?

Packed with essential information and concluding with an easy-to-follow diet, Why We Get Fat is an invaluable key in our understanding of an international epidemic and a guide to what each of us can do about it.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2010 Gary Taubes (P)2010 Random House

Eye opener

I knew I had to change my eating habits - yes, I'm overweight and would like to lose weight but I wanted to stop the continuous eating and the amounts I was eating. I couldn't understand the constant need to put food in my mouth - sugary food, cakes, biscuits, sweets etc. Gary Taubes explains very clearly (albeit repetitively!) that what I am eating is slowly but surely destroying me and all I can look forward to as I get older is diabetes, heart disease and obesity. It's not going to be easy to change my eating habits but in order to get well and stay well I have to - it's not about the scales or my clothes fitting me, it's about living and feeling well. I now have the clarity and understanding that I was missing before and it's thanks to this book.

The Bible For Those Who Want The Truth

Taubes has made quite a stir with this and its more technical predecessor "Good Calories, Bad Calories" but he's not going away. Instead his arguments and logic only get stronger.

This book is perfectly accessible as it lacks the excruciating detail of "Good Calories" but still contains the meat of the information (no pun intended).

It is not a diet book, and Taubes is not selling a diet plan. And he's not a research scientist or a doctor with some academic dog in the fight. He's a renowned science writer with a history of credibility. He presents the history of how we came to the place where we're at now - an epidemic of obesity compounded by some very, very bad advice from the highest ranks of the medical community.

Changed My Life

So far i'm down 13 pounds in just over a week. Losing weight when you don't have to starve yourself makes all the difference in the world. I guess I won't know for awhile if their are any side effects from eating a high fat diet, but I know what the side effects of being over weight are and i'm sick of it. If you were like me, eating a low fat and not getting results, you owe it to yourself to check out this book.

Excellant topic

This is almost a text book. The author sites research in detail and finally 2/3rds into the book reveals why the world is getting fatter. Highly recommend this book. Provides a great education.

Great Book; Annoying Narrator Mispronunciations

I think just about everyone would benefit from reading this book...it provides a needed perspective shift about what the scientific data really says about how we should eat. People could stop wasting a lot of misplaces time and effort, plus and throw off a lot of misplaced guilt if they read this book.

Unfortunately, while the narrator is fine in many respects, he repeatedly mispronounces or mis-reads important words: the most glaring is that whenever Taubes discusses the importance of *causal* elements leading to an effect, the narrator speaks of "casual" elements. This total change of meaning is quite annoying.

Why Our Waistlines Have Swelled on Low-Fat Diets

Taubes is a writer for the NY Times who has done in-depth research on the science of obesity for almost 10-years. He wrote a detailed book on the subject in 2007, but this slim volume is especially written for the layman and casual reader. He uses historical fact to prove that "fat" is not man's enemy, but refined "carbs" are.

Taubes documents how medicine, from the late 1800s up through the 1950s, had correctly identified overconsumption of starches as the principal cause of weight gain. Then, so-called "modern" medicine began to attack dietary fat as the chief cause of heart disease, and carbs (flour and grain products, especially) were pushed as healthful. Over the past 50 years, the campaign against fat has ravaged our nation's health, by unintentionally shifting humans away from even "good" fats to consume more sugar and refined carbohydrates. We now have a nation with obesity rates going from less than 20% in 2000 to more than one-third today, leading to rampant diabetes and other weight-related ailments. Taubes's analysis carries an important message for policymakers, educators, and our loved ones -- in order to stay thin and healthy we need to lose the carbs, not the fat.

A credible book based on real research

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I have recommended this book to friends. It makes perfect sense.
I purchased this book (Audible & Kindle) in Dec 2012 and completed it within a few weeks. Since applying Gary's theories over the past 12 months I have lost 20kg. My doctor took bloods and compared before and after. LDL is now normal, HDL is low, so are Triglycerides. Fatty liver issue gone.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Credible information that was explained in detail.

Any additional comments?

The first section of the book is heavy going where Gary explains the research but you needed to stick with it to fully appreciate the book.

loved it!

Very informative! I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who is struggling to loose weight.

great book very well explained

I liked this book the best explanation of weight gain and what to do about it.

Excellent, well-researched book

What did you love best about Why We Get Fat?

Debunks yet another myth

What about Mike Chamberlain’s performance did you like?

Clear, lively, and credible

Any additional comments?

I'm trying what the book proposes - i'm confident it will work!