I'm not a vegan or vegetarian. I'm a weightlifter and a meat eater. I also restrict my protein to less than 20% of total Calories both for health and Calorie control reasons. I work hard to maintain visible abdominal definition. I've read Taubes "Big Fat Lie" article as well as his more recent article where he states that exercise doesn't make us thinner because it increases appetite by more than the amount we burned during exercise, and wish to refute his claims.

First, a few facts about fat:
* Carbs and protein have 4 Calories per gram, whereas protein has 9. It is far more calorically dense, which means a high fat diet makes it much more likely you will end up with a positive energy balance which causes weight gain
* Fat has a low thermic effect of food (TEF), meaning that all Calories in from fat really count as Calories in. TEF of protein is about 25% and carbs is about 10%.(1)
* It is a FACT that fat has a low satiety factor. It does little to eliminate hunger. Carbs and protein work far better to satiate appetite.(2)

The scientific health community has been critical of low carb diets since they were first proposed about 40 years ago. I found this abstract from 2001 to be highly convincing:

A Statement for Healthcare Professionals from the Nutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of the American Heart Association
Sachiko T. St. Jeor, RD, PhD; Barbara V. Howard, PhD; T. Elaine Prewitt, RD, DrPH; Vicki Bovee, RD, MS; Terry Bazzarre, PhD; Robert H. Eckel, MD; for the AHA Nutrition Committee

"Abstract--High-protein diets have recently been proposed as a `new' strategy for successful weight loss. However, variations of these diets have been popular since the 1960s. High-protein diets typically offer wide latitude in protein food choices, are restrictive in other food choices mainly carbohydrates), and provide structured eating plans. They also often promote misconceptions about carbohydrates, insulin resistance, ketosis, and fat burning as mechanisms of action for weight loss. Although these diets may not be harmful for most healthy people for a short period of time, there are no long-term scientific studies to support their overall efficacy and safety. These diets are generally associated with higher intakes of total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol because the protein is provided mainly by animal sources. In high-protein diets, weight loss is initially high due to fluid loss related to reduced carbohydrate intake, overall caloric restriction, and ketosis-induced appetite suppression. Beneficial effects on blood lipids and insulin resistance are due to the weight loss, not to the change in caloric composition. Promoters of high-protein diets promise successful results by encouraging high-protein food choices that are usually restricted in other diets, thus providing initial palatability, an attractive alternative to other weight-reduction diets that have not worked for a variety of reasons for most individuals. High-protein diets are not recommended because they restrict healthful foods that provide essential nutrients and do not provide the variety of foods needed to adequately meet nutritional needs. Individuals who follow these diets are therefore at risk for compromised vitamin and mineral intake, as well as potential cardiac, renal, bone, and liver abnormalities overall."(3)

Some very accomplished scientists are against low carb diets. I am far more inclined to believe them that Mr. Taubes. I also with to mention that although low carb diets can work for some people, heroin, smoking and methamphetamine are all proven to make people lose weight. This does not mean they are a good idea from a health perspective.

As for Taubes claim that exercise is futile:
* Christina Wood Baker and Kelly Brownwell consulted numerous studies looking at the effect of exercise on both short and long-term energy intake and found that the difference was negligible.(4)
* Kathleen Melanson et al., found minimal differences in hunger and satiety after exercise(5)
* Stephen Burns et al. found that aerobic exercise had no effect on total ghrelin levels, and that hunger levels were actually lower in the post-exercise group than the non-exercise group(6)

Finally, do yourself a favor and go to Google images and type in "Gary Taubes" - there is an image of him at a podium with a very pronounced belly that is easy to find.

1. Arline Salbe and Eric Ravussin, "The Determinants of Obesity," Physical Activity and Obesity, Claude Bouchard (Ed.), (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2000), p. 76; Thomas Halton and Frank Hu, "The Effects of High-Protein Diets on Thermogenesis, Satiety and Weight Loss: A Critical Review," Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 23 (5), 2004, p. 374.
2. A. Golay and E. Bobbioni, "The Role of Dietary Fat in Obesity," International Journal of Obesity Related and Related Metabolic Disorder, Suppl 3, June, 1997, p. S2; Karen Foster-Schubert et al., "Acyl and Total Ghrelin are Suppressed Strongly by Ingested Proteins, Weakly by Lipids, and Biphasically by Carbohydrates," Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 93 (5), May, 2008, p. 1971; David Weigle et al., "Roles of Leptin and Ghrelin in the Loss of Body Weight Caused by a Low Fat, High Carbohydrate Diet," Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 88 (4), 2003, p. 1577; Palmiero Monteleone et al., "Differential Responses of Circulating Ghrelin to High-Fat or High-Carbohydrate Meal in Healthy Women," Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 88 (11), 2003, p. 5510; Monique Romon et al., "Influence of Weight Loss on Plasma Ghrelin Responses to High-Fat and High-Carbohydrate Test Meals in Obese Women," Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 91 (3), 2006, p. 1034; Flavia Prodan et al., "The Nutritional Control of Ghrelin Secretion in Humans," European Journal of Nutrition, 45, 2006, p. 399.
3. Sachiko St. Jeor et al., "Dietary Protein and Weight Reduction," Circulation, 104, 2001, p. 1869.
4. Christina Wood Baker and Kelly Brownell, "Physical Activity and Maintenance of Weight Loss: Physiological and Physical Mechanisms," Physical Activity and Obesity, Claude Bouchard (Ed.), (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2000) pp. 316-317.
5. ¬Kathleen Melanson et al., "Appetite and Blood Glucose Profiles in Humans after Glycogen-Depleting Exercise," Journal of Applied Physiology, 87 (3), 1999, p. 950.
6. Stephen Burns et al., "A Single Session of Treadmill Running has no Effect on Plasma Total Ghrelin Concentrations," Journal of Sports Sciences, 25 (6), April, 2007, p. 635.

I first heard Gary Taubes interviewed on Canadian CBC radio in the Fall of 2007. I laughed and I laughed and I laughed... How could someone who was so clearly ignorant of nutrition and health would be invited to appear on the venerable science show "Quirks and Quarks"? Another one of those Atkins nutcases- "Why don't they just go away!" I fumed.

Anyway, some months later I picked up a copy, mainly to show Peggy-Sue that I was still open to others' opinions (hers). I was hooked right from the opening pages. It is not a light-hearted read, but I couldn't put it down. I should add that I am a bit of a science geek, have a PhD in engineering (why is everyone surprised about that?), and a long term interest in nutrition. I have to admit that back in the 80's as a younger man I totally bought into the Pritikin low-fat diet, and until recently was a whole-grain, low fat, semi-vegetarian kind of guy.

I found Gary Taubes writing, logic and conclusions so compelling, there was only one option - undertake a personal experiment. It was pretty obvious what was needed to be done. I did consult Atkins, South Beach and a few other "diet" books for some "how-to" tips, but basically cut out sugar, bread, rice, beer (sigh) etc, and focused on fish, meat, nuts, dairy and vegetables. It was almost scary at first, taking that first sinful mouthful of roast chicken with the skin on!

Now in my mid 40's I have been experiencing a few of those problems that seem to plague men of a certain age. Weight starting to creep up, midnight trips to the bathroom, poor quality sleep, unstable blood sugar, and also rather severe reflux (GERD), for which I had begun to take prescription proton pump inhibitors. On the basic middle-age downhill run. Since cutting right back on sugar and starchy carbs the weight just fell off over a few months, effortlessly, with no hunger. I'm down about 20lbs and look better in a pair of speedos than any man my age has a right to *wink*. I don't even really get hungry anymore, not in the "God give me a muffin right now before I collapse" way. My reflux is gone, completely, 100% cured. No more prescription antacids. I sleep like a baby, and rarely make a nighttime trip to the bathroom. Pegs' reaction whenever I take off my shirt (OMG!) makes it all worthwhile. She claims I have the heart and circulatory system of a 25 year old.

Good Calories, Bad Calories is primarily a science book, not a diet book. For me the connection was easy, but others may want to consult a low-carb diet book. A good place to start is Living the Low Carb Life: Controlled Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss by Jonny Bowden. I am also impressed with Diane Schwartzbein The Schwarzbein Principle, The Program: Losing Weight the Healthy Way Now If I could only get Peggy-Sue (nee Gubermann) to cut back on the bagels, rugoleh and matzo balls, our life together would be perfect.

This is a powerful read that cause me to discard some deeply-held convictions about diet and nutrition. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Congratulations to Mr Taubes for an outstanding contribution.

Dirk Manly (not real name)

I first heard Gary Taubes interviewed on Canadian CBC radio in the Fall of 2007. I laughed and I laughed and I laughed... How could someone who was so clearly ignorant of nutrition and health would be invited to appear on the venerable science show "Quirks and Quarks"? Another one of those Atkins nutcases- "Why don't they just go away!" I fumed.

Anyway, some months later I picked up a copy, mainly to show Peggy-Sue that I was still open to others' opinions (hers). I was hooked right from the opening pages. It is not a light-hearted read, but I couldn't put it down. I should add that I am a bit of a science geek, have a PhD in engineering (why is everyone surprised about that?), and a long term interest in nutrition. I have to admit that back in the 80's as a younger man I totally bought into the Pritikin low-fat diet - hook, line and sinker.

I found Gary Taubes writing, logic and conclusions so compelling, there was only one option - perform a personal experiment. It was pretty obvious what was needed to be done. I did consult Atkins, South Beach and a few other "diet" books for some "how-to" tips, but basically cut out sugar, bread, rice, beer (sadly) etc, and focused on fish, meat, nuts, dairy and vegetables. It was almost scary at first, taking that first sinful mouth full of roast chicken with the skin on!

Now in my mid 40's I have been experiencing a few of those problems that seem to plague men of a certain age. Weight starting to creep up, midnight trips to the bathroom, poor quality sleep, unstable blood sugar, and also rather severe reflux (GERD), for which I had begun to take prescription proton pump inhibitors. On the basic middle-age downhill run. Since cutting right back on sugar and starchy carbs the weight just fell off over a few months, effortlessly, with no hunger. I'm down about 20lbs and look better in a pair of speedos than any man my age has a right to *wink*. I don't even really get hungry anymore, not in the "God give me a muffin right now before I collapse" way. My reflux is gone, completely, 100% cured. No more prescription antacids. I sleep like a baby, and rarely make a nighttime trip to the bathroom. Pegs' reaction whenever I take off my shirt (OMG!) makes it all worthwhile.

Good Calories, Bad Calories is primarily a science book, not a diet book. For me the connection was easy, but others may want to consult a low-carb diet book. A good place to start is Living the Low Carb Life: Controlled Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss by Jonny Bowden. Now If I could only get Peggy-Sue (nee Gubermann) to cut back on the bagels, rugoleh and matzo balls, our life together would be perfect.

This is a powerful read that cause me to discard some deeply-held convictions about diet and nutrition. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Congratulations to Mr Taubes for an outstanding contribution.

Dirk Manly (not real name)

This book is a product of the internet age, as the author points out: a lifetime's worth of research was accomplished in only six years. His first task is to discredit the conventional wisdom and the institutions responsible, and he does this effectively, showing how a dozen or so influential scientists can spin ambiguous test data, so that, for instance, in the case of the dietary fat-heart disease theory, national policy results. His second task is to review the entire history of obesity research, concluding that calorie-restricting diets don't work. Throughout it all, the recurring theme is the harmful effects of refined carbohydrates.

The information in this book is Outstanding! It's almost like the light at the end of the tunnel of the lies about diet. There is only one problem! As an average reader, it is almost as if you need an abridged version to get directly to the point.

Gary presents all the facts and spares little to none of the details as to why our society has been taking "Opinions" as facts and costing our health issues!

My only wish is that for people with little time and patience for all the detail we could get to the solid fact and proof beneath all the evidence, times, names, organizations, and past issues.

I only gave this book 3 stars for that reason. Due to the length of the book and the amount of deatails. It took me way longer than I would have liked to spend to get to the juicy points. I am in no way downplaying what's presenting... only wishing it was easier to find in all the pages.

This book is a staple in the truth about our diets and why our sciences fail..... Thanks Gary.

Finally a clear, well-documented account of this nation's delusion about
fat and carbohydrates that has made us the obese, disease ridden country
that we have become. Because of the erroneous obsession of Ancel Keys and
his supporters we have been lied to by the entire medical profession and
have sacrificed the health of a whole generation. How easily we are duped
when the results of so many studies are selectively distorted and
dissenting opinion is squelched. This is the same technique the neocons
used to get us into the Iraq war.
Fat is good for you and especially saturated fat. Cholesterol below 200
results in cancer and hemorrhagic stroke. READ THIS BOOK.

I had been eyeing this book for a while as I do try to keep an open mind about these things. So I read a friends copy. It was indeed a fascinating read...but no matter what you read....and there were alot of 5 star reviews here telling you to do this, do that....jump on the low-carb, anti bread, rice etc. bandwagon.....but the odd thing is.....look at the countries who diet is all about rice and veggies...and how HEALTHY they have been until our Fast Food joints enter the picture....and then you start to see fat all over the world. I did the Atkins plan about 5 years ago...lost 60 pounds...fairly quickly too. My body seemed to thrive on it..and contrary to what some reviews said...I was never hungry. BUT....and there always is one.....I started getting dizzy, started feeling sickly.....and ended up in the hospital....because on those extreme hard core diets like Atkins....you dont eat friut, you dont each healthy breads etc. I had a friend who had lost over 100 pounds on a low carb bragging how she hadn't had a piece of fruit or bread for over a year. And frankly I have to say...ANY diet or weight loss plan that FORBIDS a certain food...is not ever going to be ultimately healthy. My body shut down...completely...and my thyroid did as well. My doctors attributed it to being so obessesed with low carb...to eventually hurting my health. Now when I was following that regime, I was its staunchest supporter....but in restospect...after being so sick, in the hopsital and fighting a broken thyroid....I realized that the truth of the matter is that we are always looking for some fix. When the saying Everything in Moderation....is what is really the key. It took me almost two years and a weight gain of what I had lost PLUS more--to get my body healthy again, and get my thyroid working again. And one of my doctors--who also studied nutrition and was indeed a specialist...just came out and said...we have to find something that is FOR THE LONGTERM and that in his studies, those who tried to do the Atkins type diet...severe low carb...would evetually have tremendous aging issues down the road. It certainly aged me...it was not healthy. And now I eat fresh veggies, I eat chicken, fish and yes now and then red meat....but I also eat fresh fruits....any kind...I eat whole wheat bread and yes the evil potato now and then and I do eat rice too once and a while. I feel great....I have now lost over a hundred pounds...I look so much better. I do not say that one food is bad or good. Obviously I don't go walking around eating candy and cake and ice cream....but I will not forbid or banish any food from my world. I really try to watch the sugar and salt in my diet. But I will have a piece of cake or a candy bar once and a while..maybe every month or so..but the key is to NOT eat like that for most of your diet...and to get right back into healthy eating the next meal. There was some book out a few years ago by yet another author whos name escapes me, Julia Havy or something....but her gimmic was VICE BUSTING..she banned ice cream from her diet...and I watched her on some show and I thought wow-this woman is way too severe, it was her way or no way...and those types of people scare me, and are NOT healthy...they are too controlling and never open-minded which is never good. It truly is COMMON SENSE but we americans are always looking for the answer, a quick fix....I have to bust my vice and all...the fanatics out there selling health..its sad. They make money off our fears and desperation when we don't want to do the work ourselves. I have learned to eat in moderation. To exercise a half hour a day...to drink plenty of water and try (although its not always that easy) to get as much sleep as possible as SLEEP is just as important as diet in how we age and take care of ourselves. This book was interesting...but I really am tired of books that preach one regime over another....I just follow a healthy heart type diet. And to learn why I eat or reach for the so-called 'bad' foods, what emotions are playing a part in my choices. The mind is just as important as the body and most of us tend to ignore that. But I know I will never ever again go the low carb or nothing route...it was the worst thing I ever have done for my health. Or follow any plan that forbids you certain foods or tells you that you have to bust those vices or eles. Everything in moderation...and use common sense. You really dont need another book to know that. Go online...go to the American Heart Association site, or the Diabetes sight or another of the free sites out there and make your own way. Save your money, use your head. There is plenty of good free information out there for you to make up your own mind..and regain your health.

This book is not a health/nutritional book per se, but more like journalistic muckracking. If you are looking for dietary advice, this is not exactly the right book because you have to wade through a lot of historical and sociological material to find the nutritional gems of indirect advice.

The title is a bit misleading. Due to its in-depth journalistic investigative nature, I would title this "The Politics of Nutritional Advice." Taubes goes into great detail, leaving no nutritional stone unturned, as he covers the history of the anti-fat crusade and dispels the myths of dietary cholesterol causing blood cholesterol.

At the end of this book you will realize that obesity is not due to excess caloric intake and/nor a deficiency in exercise. Carbs are much more to blame because they (unlike fat) affect insulin release, the main hormone involved in fat storage. Gaining weight (or not) has much more to do with a symphony of hormones than calories.

You will also learn that there is a great deal of politics involved in determining which nutritional theories get funded (as is the case with just about any science). As he states on p. 51-52: "Scientists were believed to be free of conflicts if their only source of funding was a federal agency, but all nutritionists knew that if their research failed to support the government position on a particular subject, the funding would go instead to someone who did."

Taubes didn't go into the benefits of the Omega 3s, which are proven to be highly beneficial in weight reduction. While he uses the example of the traditional Eskimos as being cancer-free, he overlooked the causes: 1) They were 100% raw fooders and 2) they ate a great deal of omega 3 fatty acids (which fish are high in).

We get conflicting messages about what to eat and how to lose weight from sources that we would like to trust, like doctors and the government. This book shows that there has been some good research done on what makes us fat and sick over the last hundred or so years. But for some reason the research has not been treated as part of a science where we try to increase our understanding a bit at a time. Instead, as Taubes shows, the fight over food has been more like politics than science and we are all suffering from confusion. Taubes makes a case that when viewed scientifically the research seems to point to some clear answers that deserve more attention, specifically the problem of carbohydrates in our diet. I wish the medical community would take the issues as seriously as he does. I know that the information he provides has helped me to lose weight for the first time.

Have you ever wondered what drives the health industry in touting what is correct to eat for a good healthy lifestyle? Have you ever wondered why common knowledge tells us that fat is bad, carbohydrates are good, and that to have a healthy weight you should eat less and exercise more? In Good Calories, Bad Calories, author Gary Taubes tried to give answers to these questions, as well as showing how this advice may not be right.

The book is divided into three parts:

--Part one, The Fat-Cholesterol Hypothesis, looks at the effects of reducing fat, as well as the role the rise of awareness of cholesterol and heart disease has played on diet in the last few decades.

--Part Two, The Carbohydrate Hypotheses, shows readers how the Western diet slowly moved from one with more meat and fat in the late nineteenth century to one with more of an emphasis on breads and other carbohydrates. In this section, the author discusses the rise of refined carbohydrate use in meals, and how those are causing problems with both a rise in diabetes and obesity.

--Part Three: Obesity and the Regulation of Weight, talks about hunger, different diets, and how they work or don't with a person's metabolism to help them lose weight or to hinder weight loss.

As a layperson, I had a hard time with this book because author Gary Taubes gives his readers a lot of (sometimes it felt like too much) information on food, on nutrition, on different health concerns such as heart disease, diabetes, and the rise in obesity. His background as a science writer shows with the completeness of the information given. I did find that the information given aimed at a lower glycemic diet with its higher protein and less refined carbohydrates very interesting, as well as the fact that diets promoting such eating habits were not new in the sixties when Dr. Atkins first started promoting his diet.

I believe this would be an excellent book for anyone interested in finding out more about the various diet trends and advice given through the past decades.

Armchair Interviews agrees.

What a load of rubbish. I read this book in half an hour - ended up skimming it because it was so dull and because I could not make head nor tail of it. All the writer does is spew facts and data from study after study - he never sums up or gets to the point. Half the book is taken up with an afterword, an epilogue, a biography and the index!

I wish I'd seen his list of ten conclusions before I'd bought it - that would've been enough for me. The list, by the way, is on page 454! (The preceding 453 pages are gibberish).

I bought the book mainly because the reviews/accolades on the front and back cover are so good. Never again!

Do not waste your money!

First, this book is an amazing work of scholarship. I discovered it through a radio interview with Gary Taubes. I found the interview extremely helpful in understanding the book and have listened to it several times.

(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15886898)

After my triple bypass I starved on a lowfat diet for 14 years and managed to keep my weight and cholesterol down; but my HDL was always low and my triglycerides high. Two months after reading this book and cutting way down on carbs and starting to eat all the fats I had avoided for 14 years, my latest blood test showed my HDL up by 20% and triglycerides down by 50%; and waist size down 2" while losing 5 pounds. I feel noticably stronger, so I'm guessing that while I lost alot of fat around the middle I've probably put on some muscle.

I consider this the best book ever on diet and health.

Taubes digs through the fascinating history and shows how big egos, bias, and politics have driven much of our conventional "wisdom" on diet and health. This book should be read by any one interested in diet and health.

The only shortcoming is that not enough attention is paid to the crucial role of excessive omega-6 fatty acids and the low levels of omege-3 fatty acids in the western diet--which drives much of chronic disease, together with high carbohydrate and high fructose diets.

The book is hard to read, but it is well worth the effort. If you keep an open mind, it will definitely change the way you think--and eat. I admire the author's courage, because he is setting himself up for a wave of backlash from the establishment, even though all he is saying is "let's look carefully at the science."

There are books that inform. There are books that educate. There are books that prescribe. Some books inspire. This is one of those.

In the accumulation of wisdom the most useful tool is an overarching explanation of a serious matter whether it is Warren Buffet explaining the core principles of successful investing or Albert Einstein giving us the key to understanding the universe.

Mr. Taubes has drawn together many threads of knowledge of human metabolism into a coherent explanation of how modern diet impacts us. I have, so far, bought three copies for relatives and friends.

By necessity, in order to influence the bastions of conventional wisdom, it is academic in tone and dry in its delivery. But those that read it with an open mind will gain immeasurably from the experience.

And the four star rating? A bit more editing could have made the information more easily digestible.

It is unfortunate that Taubes limits his viewpoint to out-dated research and focuses narrowly on a few food items, such as processed sugar and white rice, as the source of obesity and related health problems. This view is as narrow and incomplete as the research he derides. Taubes is correct in suggesting that there are powerful political forces at work in connection with research. Take for instance the United Dairymen and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association - both spend millions of dollars lobbying researchers so that we may continue to believe the completely false notion that cow's milk (which contains casein - a protein linked to various diseases, yes, including some forms of cancer) is healthy for us. Likewise, we have been taught that we need to eat meat for our protein, when the reality is that a diet rich in meat and dairy provides too much protein and is linked to osteporosis and digestive disease. I recommend reading The China Study to get the rest of the story. Taubes certainly doesn't tell it here which I'm sure big businesses, like those I've mentioned above, very much appreciate.

My son, a phys ed major and personal trainer, took this book back to school with him, leaving my 82-yr-old father, a retired chiropractor and nutrition expert, heartbroken. So I bought it for my father's birthday, and he says it's one of the best he's ever read.