The Obesity Code Book Summary

Book Summary

15 min

Brief Summary

The more calories you consume, the more likely you are to gain weight. This idea about weight gain is well known, adopted by many, and… incorrect? In fact, it's just one of many myths floating around about weight loss. Learn why coffee is good for you, the single most determinant factor of obesity, and why cutting calories can lead to a lot of awful outcomes - and no weight loss.

About the Author

Dr. Jason Fung is a Canadian nephrologist. He is an expert on intermittent fasting and low carb, especially for treating people with type 2 diabetes. He is the author of three best-selling health books. He co-founded the Intensive Dietary Management program. He is a graduate of University of Toronto. He lives and works in Toronto, Canada.

Topics

Health & Nutrition

The Obesity Code Book Summary Preview

The more calories you consume, the more likely you are to gain weight. This idea about weight gain is well known, adopted by many, and… incorrect? In fact, it's just one of many myths floating around about weight loss. The Obesity code digs into this myth and many more: imparting various lessons about weight gain, weight loss, and what you can eat to feel healthier and improve your quality of life.

Myth: Social environment has a huge impact on weight

Fact: Research says, genetics matter more

Where you are has a lot to do with what kind of food you have access to, so it should have a huge impact on how much you weigh, right? Research done by Albert J. Stunkard indicates that this might not be the case. He researched Denmark families with adopted kids, and discovered that the weight of parents and access to junk food weren’t indicators of obesity. In fact, the most important factor which determined whether or not a child would be obese was the weight of their biological parents. Obese parents were more likely to produce obese children. According to Stunkard’s research, genes account for roughly 70% of the likelihood that someone will become obese.

Myth: Weight loss is about cutting calories

Fact: The relationship between calorie intake and weight loss isn’t so simple

Though rates of obesity in America have increased, according to doctor U. Ladabaum in the American Journal of medicine, average calorie intake hasn’t risen. Obesity has risen from 1990-2010 at a rate of roughly .37 percent a year. If calorie intake isn’t increasing, what gives? On the topic of calories, it's important to understand that calories don’t immediately become fat. Fat production is one of the many things your body does with the calories you consume, including keeping you warm and fueling your brain. Since calories don’t go directly to fat, and there hasn’t been an eating increase that’s causing obesity, there’s another factor that is contributing to obesity: the way people’s bodies use energy. Some people’s bodies use calories for fat, while others develop bigger muscles or bones. If you’re on of the individuals whose body uses calories for fat, you will gain weight eating the same amount as someone who’s body uses them differently.

Myth: Reducing calories is the best way to lose weight

Fact: Reducing calories doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll lose weight - and it can have nasty side effects

It turns out that when you cut calories, your body actually slows down your metabolism. Think about it like this: if you cut calories for a long period of time, and your metabolism didn’t slow down, you would die! Your body’s natural defense is to slow things down to keep you alive. Great for survival, not so great for weight loss. This finding was produced in a study done at the Carnegie Institute in Washington. When participants were put on a diet that significantly cut calories, their bodies changed: but not in a good way. People experienced no weight loss, but their energy fell significantly....