The first historical study of diet books, Dr Adrienne Rose Bitar's book Diet and the Disease of Civilization examines how four popular plans -- Paleo, biblical, primitive, and detox diets -- reflect and shape our social world. Bitar categorized 17,000 diet books based on their titles. All of them, from Paleo to the “biblical diets” and even the first diet book by William Banting, center around the conversation of who are we, what do we eat, and why? The texts claim that we have fallen as a people and we need to regain that “original health” through diet. About Adrienne Adrienne Rose Bitar is a diet and food historian and recent author of Diet and the Disease of Civilization. The first historical study of diet books, Bitar's book examines how four popular plans -- Paleo, biblical, primitive, and detox diets -- reflect and shape our social world. Previous food publications include studies of competitive eating, food art, and the Paleo diet. In the popular press, she has published on migrant child farm labor, locavorism, and weight-gain diets. Bitar earned her PhD from Stanford in 2016 and is currently a Postdoctoral Associate in History at Cornell. Bitar's recent research project is on fake meat and she teaches courses on food studies and the history of health and fitness culture. Website | Twitter | Book Links mentioned Adrienne's WIRED article: The Government's Role in the Rise of Lab-Grown Meat Body Kindness Episode 100: Diet Culture Exists Because We Don’t Want to Die with Michelle Allison the Fat Nutritionist Body Kindness Episode 85: Doing Harm – The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick with feminist author Maya Dusenbery New York Times: What We Know About Diet and Weight Loss: After decades of research, there are shockingly few firm conclusions.   --- Get started with Body Kindness If you’re ready for more Body Kindness, the book is a great place to start. Read reviews on Amazon and pick up your copy today! Want signed copies or bulk orders? Click here. Get started today with my free body kindness coaching, straight to your inbox. Sign up right here. --- Support the show Thank you to our generous supporters! We are working toward our goal to fund the full season. Can you donate? Please visit our Go Fund Me page. --- You can subscribe to Body Kindness on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and iHeartRadio. Enjoy the show? Please rate it on iTunes! - http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1073275062 Are you ready for Body Kindness? Get started today with my free e-course and on-demand digital training. Learn more - http://bit.ly/2k23nbT The New York Times Book Review calls Body Kindness 'simple and true'. Publisher's Weekly says it's 'a rousing guide to better health.' http://bit.ly/2k228t9 Watch my videos about why we need Body Kindness on YouTube. https://youtu.be/W7rATQpv5y8?list=PLQPvfnaYpPCUT9MOwHByVwN1f-bL2rn1V --- Enjoy the show? Please subscribe and rate it. Have a show idea or guest recommendation (even yourself!) E-mail podcast@bodykindnessbook.com to get in touch. Join us on the Body Kindness Podcast Facebook group where you can continue the episode conversations with the hosts, guests, and fellow listeners. See you there! Nothing in this podcast is meant to provide medical diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Individuals should consult a qualified healthcare provider for medical advice and answers to personal health questions.