Outsmarting Obesity

An intriguing look at what causes obesity and how to combat it. Uses a four-step program which addresses and treats the condition. Highly recommended!

Very interesting, especially for someone who spent half their life reading diet books. Good medical information and good advice.

This is a really interesting book and I learned a lot. The author is a doctor and it's got contributions by a nutritionist as well. Lonky says that the obesity/overweight epidemic is a lot more complex than anyone recognizes. He points out that we have tens of thousands of unstudied chemicals that are now in our food, water, homes, etc. and many of them are proven "obesogens" -- meaning they have been shown to change our hormones, metabolism, etc. and cause us to gain weight. He also talks about the changes to our food over time, our added calories, the way some ultraprocessed foods hijack and fool our basic bodily messages like hunger, how our genetics influence our weight, how the government and food industry have betrayed us, and much more. Even what our mothers eat, drink, or are exposed to while they're pregnant with us helps wire our bodies.

One fact that I found fascinating is that our animals in captivity (not pets) like zoo animals and lab monkeys and rats are also heavier today than they were with the exact same diet and calories a few decades ago, which really points to fundamental changes in the grains we're growing and the chemicals in our environment. He points out that nobody is spoiling lab animals with extra treats. They're literally fatter on modern basic food that should be the exact same stuff that they would have eaten 30 years ago.

Lonky has a lot of advice for outsmarting obesity but it's not easy. He points out that we cannot completely avoid the many hazardous chemicals in our modern environment and that a lot of other things are working against us. He advises avoiding ultraprocessed foods (as everyone advises), sugar, alcohol, tobacco and chemical additives (not just in food but fire retardants on clothes and furniture, pesticides, fungicides, etc). He suggests eating real, whole foods (proteins, healthy fats, complex carbs like vegetables and quinoa), drinking lots of filtered water, getting healthy movement, and really being mindful when eating (not skipping meals, pausing between each bite, no mindless eating, etc.). He also advises looking at your patterns and working with them, like if you know that you can't eat just one tiny cookie then accept that cookies keep you from getting the goals that are more important and just not bringing any more cookies into the house, and to stop beating yourself up about your weight or what you perceive as a lack of willpower (he says there is no way willpower can do all we ask of it in this battle) and to accept yourself and just set yourself up for as much success as possible. Also, stop with yo-yo dieting and severe calorie restriction, because every time you're telling your body to make it harder for you to lose weight next time.

It's a really deep dive into all of this and he doesn't pull any punches about how harmful obesity is, but he also doesn't pretend it's the person's fault. I wish there were a magic elixir but this is more a very thorough look at the issue and all the ways we can work to help ourselves.

I read a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

A compelling look at.the obesity epidemic facing tje world through the eyes of science. It isn't just a matter of too many calories and not enough exercise. Could hormones, genetics, and toxins play a role. In tje growing amount of people struggling with extra weight. A compelling read.

I found this book really interesting. I’ve struggled with my weight most of my adult life and this book suggests it may not always be due to overeating, calories in, calories out. Genetics, hormones etc can play a role. The author is a doctor with a wealth of knowledge and also refers to a nutritionist. I’m definitely going to keep this close at hand to refer to.

Informative book, covers many different reasonings for why we suffer from obesity. A lot of medical studies are referenced. And the author lays out a step by step plan for readers to face obesity head on. Definitely worth reading.

Outsmarting Obesity by Dr. Stewart Lonky takes a look at the history, the complex possible causes and the possible solution of obesity. He has done his research well from valid scientific sources. He also brings in expert information from a nutritionist. He offers a way of dealing with obesity that is doable. This book is written in a way that is accessible to both a general audience and experts. Strongly recommended for anyone dealing with obesity or interested the subject.