Gene Eating: The Science of Obesity and the Truth About Dieting

Written by Giles Yeo, PhD

Narrated by Shaun Grindell

An indispensable, groundbreaking look at the way our genetic makeup influences our relationship with food.

In an age of misinformation and pseudo-science, the world is getting fatter and the diet makers are getting richer. So how do we break this cycle that’s literally killing us all?

Drawing on the very latest science and his own genetic research at the University of Cambridge, Dr. Giles Yeo has written the seminal “anti-diet” diet book. Exploring the history of our food, debunking marketing nonsense, detoxifying diet advice, and confronting the advocates of clean eating, Giles translates his pioneering research into an engaging, must-read study of the human appetite.

In a post-truth world, Gene Eating cuts straight to the data-driven facts. Only by understanding the physiology of our bodies, their hormonal functions, and their caloric needs can we overcome the misinformation of modern dieting trends, empower ourselves to make better decisions, and achieve healthy relationships with food, our bodies, and our weight.

Inspiring and revelatory, filled with lively anecdotes and fascinating details, Gene Eating is an urgent and essential book that will change the way we eat.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jun 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9781978672130

Giles Yeo, PhD

Giles Yeo, PhD, is a geneticist with over twenty years of experience dedicated to researching obesity and the brain control of food intake. He obtained his PhD from the University of Cambridge and assisted with the pioneering research that uncovered key pathways in how the brain controls food intake. His current research focuses on understanding how these pathways differ from person to person, and the influence of genetics in our relationship with food and eating habits. He is based at the MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit, where he is director of Genomics. Giles also moonlights as science presenter for the BBC. He lives in Cambridge, England.

[jigarpatel-6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yeo admits early on Gene Eating is an anti-diet book. So the readership of this work can be divided in two, and which group you belong to will determine how you react. Either you are following or considering one of the popular diets Yeo disparages, in which case you are either convinced and enlightened or venting in disbelief at Yeo's callous attacks. Or, like me, you aren't looking to change your diet but are interested in a fresh scientific view on nutrition. This second lay audience may appreciate Yeo's wide-ranging explanations:

- calorie content is less important than caloric availability, which varies widely by food type and preparation technique;
- animals are wired to defend their weight or weight progression (mice experiments, restrictive human diets difficult to maintain);
- natural selection shapes diets over long periods (amylase gene copies, alcohol tolerance, regional lactose intolerance);
- humans and animals have evolved to prefer more calorically dense foods as they become full ("dessert stomach");
- how and where fat is stored differs significantly due to genetic variation (variable link to diabetes for specific ethnicities);
- hormones influencing how full you feel are sensitive to where your digestive tract is active and consequently to what types of food you eat (proteins are filling as they are digested later in the alimentary canal).

According to Yeo, studies support only two sustainable dietary means of tackling obesity: fasting (which can be explained by scientific reasoning) and the Mediterranean diet (though reasons for its efficacy have yet to be isolated). Crucially, the reason why a number of diets seem to work, at least initially, is that they cause weight loss, which can be achieved directly through fasting. Exercise is useful in maintaining but not instigating weight loss.

I would have preferred more of the above, less chat, less emphasis on why diet fads X and Y are misleading or dangerous. But I appreciate to sell a book you have to attract and affect an audience. The editing is poor, but overall I found Gene Eating an accessible and well researched introduction to nutrition in the context of today's first world obesity epidemic.