Eat Fat, Get Thin- Book Review

Exploring Diet and Health: Insights from Dr. Hyman

Changing Views about Diet

Exploring changing views about diet while battling systemic inflammation has led me to numerous books by both physicians and scientists. There is a growing mountain of evidence from modern scientific studies suggesting that our understanding of what constitutes healthy eating is not just wrong, but fundamentally backwards. Many of the books I encountered focus on weight loss, yet I am not primarily concerned with losing weight.

This situation highlights a significant problem in the U.S. Despite attempts to demonize fat and promote a high-carbohydrate diet rich in grains, Americans are not becoming healthier. In fact, they are getting fatter and increasingly diabetic. So, what is going wrong? To shift public attitudes, including those of doctors perpetuating outdated advice from 50 years ago, we need modern science to support our claims. A great starting point for this discussion is Dr. Mark Hyman's book, Eat Fat, Get Thin: Why the Fat We Eat Is the Key to Sustained Weight Loss and Vibrant Health.

Understanding the Science Behind Diet

In Dr. Hyman's book, we explore the history of flawed science and the media's role in sensationalizing fat's impact on cardiovascular disease. The common belief that "fat makes you fat" and raises cholesterol levels has been debunked. Dr. Hyman cites numerous studies showing that earlier research couldn't be replicated, and new findings emerged during those attempts. Surprisingly, fat consumption does not correlate with heart disease; however, sugar and refined carbohydrates are definitely linked to these issues.

But how does this relate to weight gain and loss? Many Americans seem obsessed with these topics today. To truly understand weight loss, we must grasp some basic metabolic science. We often believe that fat in our diet leads to more fat in our bodies. However, Dr. Hyman explains that the carbohydrates we consume trigger an insulin response. The purpose of insulin is to store unused carbs in fat. When our energy reserves are depleted, our bodies don't burn fat efficiently. Instead, they prompt us to crave more carbs, leading to more fat storage.

The Importance of Healthy Fats

Eating healthy fats does not trigger an insulin response. In fact, these fats can be satiating, reducing cravings in the process. Therefore, the key to losing weight lies not in a low-fat diet, but in consuming more healthy fats and minimizing or completely avoiding refined carbohydrates. Throughout the book, Dr. Hyman outlines his recommended dietary plan for eating healthily and effectively shedding weight. He even has a cookbook available. You can find out more about it here: https://eatfatgetthin.com.

The Influence of the Food Industry

There is much to uncover about the aggressive lobbying from the pharmaceutical and food industries that perpetuates the outdated belief that fat is detrimental to our health while promoting refined carbs as a suitable alternative. Dr. Hyman highlights the influence of pharmaceutical companies producing statins and the sugar industry as significant contributors to these misconceptions.

The politics behind the science that debunks these myths is a primary reason I was drawn to Dr. Hyman's book. I first heard of it while reading Lies My Doctor Told Me, by Dr. Ken Berry.

Conclusion

If you are interested in eating healthily or losing weight and wish to understand the science behind these matters, I highly recommend checking out Eat Fat, Get Thin: Why the Fat We Eat Is the Key to Sustained Weight Loss and Vibrant Health by Mark Hyman, M.D.