Why we get fat
by Gary Taubes · first published 2010
70% recommend27% neutral3% critical
Why HN recommends it
Clearly written, accessible case for the carbohydrate/insulin view of fat storage over calorie counting, with chapters on exercise and diet science. Suits readers wanting a shorter entry than Good Calories, Bad Calories.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
This work is an examination of what makes us fat. In his book Good Calories, Bad Calories, the author, an acclaimed science writer argues that certain kinds of carbohydrates, not fats and not simply excess calories, have led to our current obesity epidemic. Now he brings that message to a wider, nonscientific audience. With fresh evidence for his claim, this book makes his critical argument newly accessible. He reveals the bad nutritional science of the last century, none more damaging than the "calories-in, calories-out" model of why we get fat, the good science that has been ignored, especia
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2008–2025Good calories, bad calories
Gary Taubes
Recommended by 91 · mentioned by 13291 recommend · 132 mention91 recommend · 13291 recommend
2011–2019Why we get fat and what to do about it
Gary Taubes
Recommended by 12 · mentioned by 1512 recommend · 15 mention12 recommend · 1512 recommend
2014–2017Keto clarity
Jimmy Moore
Recommended by 4 · mentioned by 44 recommend · 4 mention4 recommend · 44 recommend
2011–2023Bad science
Gary Taubes
Recommended by 2 · mentioned by 32 recommend · 3 mention2 recommend · 32 recommend
2014–2026The big fat surprise
Nina Teicholz
Recommended by 19 · mentioned by 3119 recommend · 31 mention19 recommend · 3119 recommend
2011–2026Food Politics
Marion Nestle
Recommended by 4 · mentioned by 54 recommend · 5 mention4 recommend · 54 recommend
2010–2026The 4-Hour Body
Timothy Ferriss
Recommended by 32 · mentioned by 6232 recommend · 62 mention32 recommend · 6232 recommend
2016–2026The obesity code
Jason Fung
Recommended by 45 · mentioned by 5945 recommend · 59 mention45 recommend · 5945 recommend
…hasn't proven out at all, it's that fat makes us fat! The NY Times has even run other articles saying as much: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/opinion/sunday/what-really... (by Gary Taubes, whose book "Why We Get Fat" is a must-read.) The problem with "low-fat" processed food in particular is that the fat is often replaced with sugar to add taste, but sugars and other high-carb grains are more problematic than fat…
on “The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food” ↗I just finished reading "Why We Get Fat" [1] and was really surprised by it. The research seems quite plausible to me, but the recommendations in terms of not getting fat are not what I have heard as the common advice. The advice in short…
on “You Can’t Trust What You Read About Nutrition” ↗If you haven't read either of Taubes's books, please do. I highly recommend Why We Get Fat[1]. It's a spectacular piece of scientific journalism. If that's too much for you, try one of his talks on the same topic[2]. When I first encountered the idea that we do not get fat from eating too…
on “Hard Science About Diet” ↗…animals. On the other hand, grain agriculture is beyond fixing See http://lierrekeith.com/vegmyth.htm for a great intro. Meat is also healthy. Grains are not. See any of these Good Calories Bad Calories/Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes, The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf, http://www.marksdailyapple.com/cholesterol/#axzz1wxjdQqRB Eat real food.
on “Obvious Goes Beyond Meat” ↗…(Lot's of machine learning books to list: PRML, All of Stats, Deep Learning, etc.) * Active Portfolio Management - Kahn, Grinold * Thinking, fast and slow - Kahneman * Protein Power (the Eades') / Why we get fat (Taubes) * Why we sleep (Walker) * Deep Work / So Good They Can't Ignore You (Newport) * Flowers for Algernon (Keyes) * Getting to Yes (Fisher)
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in the past decade?” ↗Off the top of my head no, most of my insight came from observing addiction in others, and experimenting over the course of a decade. However, the two books which I guess started me on this journey are Why We Get Fat by Garry Taube [0] and The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferris [1]. Both of these books take a scientific approach to diet (which is governed by habit and addiction, after all). I will say this, I am convinced…
on “Launch HN: Atmana (YC S21) – An app to help cut down on compulsive porn usage” ↗I recently quit taking statins. My decision was motivated by reading two books: "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259/ and "The Big Fat Surprise" by Nina Teicholz https://www.amazon.com/Big-Fat-Surprise-Butter-Healthy/dp/14... Finding that…
on “Statins Used to Lower Cholesterol Linked to Doubled Risk of Developing Dementia” ↗…including commenters in this thread, thinks they already know what the solution is, even before they have a good grasp of the problem. I recommend reading Gary Taubes ("Good Calories, Bad Calories", "Why We Get Fat"), not because of what he thinks that the solution is, but to understand the range of facts that a theory of obesity must explain. When Taubes starts to promote his own theory (carbs are bad, fats aren't,…
on “Are grains making us fat? If so, we should be much thinner than 1914.” ↗…a fire burning inside us. 2) There are different metabolic cycles which determine whether body fat is utilized for energy or whether energy from food is stored as fat. A good reference for this is "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes.
The strategy I used was based on the research by Dr. Jason Fung and the book Why we get fat https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8727466-why-we-get-fat Also the countless many youtube videos on fasting how it got results. It is really hard to argue with facts.
on “I Am Not Fat” ↗…creating a caloric deficit is the most important thing that matters; eating less, not moving more, is the most realistic way to do so." What? Please read Gary Taubes "Good Calories, Bad Calories" or "Why we get fat". He is one of the leading thinkers in nutrition and is worshipped by other gurus like Tim Noakes (who wrote the runners bible Lore of Running). Taubes spends the first third of "Why we get fat" rebuking…
on “Obesity and Fitness Are Revolutionized By Reddit, Not Doctors” ↗…(I've been there, I know.) The most important factor to consider if someone wants to change its weight is the diet. Not 'diet' in the sense of restraining yourself from eating, but rather what you eat. Why we get FAT by Gary Taubes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTUspjZG-wc Unfortunately for you, I don't think there's a startup idea there. Or perhaps make a specialized restaurant/grocery? It's really hard to find…
on “Ask HN: What are your thoughts on fitness/exercise?” ↗…the anti-carb and anti-fat folks all agree on getting rid of chips, soda, deep fried stuff, so I'm not trying to say that advice won't work. If this is interesting, it's all cribbed from Gary Taubes's "Why We Get Fat", which I can't recommend enough, lots of good science. [1] http://www.kansas.com/2013/05/07/2791705/mayo-study-discover... Edit: Added "too many" to "Don't eat carbs", since you do need to eat some,…
on “No Bread, Beer or Biscuits: How I Lost 63lbs in 100 Days” ↗I also recommend reading Gary Taubes' Why We Get Fat: http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259
on “The Fats You Don’t Need to Fear, and the Carbs That You Do” ↗Why We Get Fat is an excellent book that investigates this topic: http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259/ In short, for most of us, our fat tissue is regulated primarily through our response to insulin.
on “Why the calorie is broken” ↗