How Not to Diet audiobook cover - The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss

How Not to Diet

The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss

Michael Greger

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Health & Nutrition

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How Not to Diet
The Obesity Epidemic+
Diet Composition+
Behavioral Tweaks+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9
According to the book, what was the primary cause of the sudden spike in obesity rates during the 1970s?
  • A. A sudden global decrease in physical exercise and active lifestyles.
  • B. The introduction of government guidelines promoting high-carbohydrate diets.
  • C. Technological advances that allowed the food industry to easily mass-produce and distribute calorie-rich, processed foods.
  • D. A genetic shift in human metabolism that made it harder to process modern grains.
Question 2 of 9
How does dietary fiber act as a 'calorie discounter' for weight loss?
  • A. It increases the heart rate, causing the body to burn more calories at a resting state.
  • B. It traps some of the calories from other foods you eat, meaning fewer calories are absorbed into your system.
  • C. It forces the body to convert stored fat into carbohydrates for immediate energy.
  • D. It completely suppresses the production of hunger hormones in the brain.
Question 3 of 9
Why is a low-glycemic diet recommended over a high-glycemic diet for weight loss?
  • A. High-glycemic foods cause blood-sugar spikes that drive later cravings and trigger a metabolic slowdown.
  • B. High-glycemic foods contain artificial chemicals that permanently expand the stomach lining.
  • C. Low-glycemic foods require significantly more physical chewing, which burns hundreds of extra calories.
  • D. Low-glycemic foods are the only foods that contain essential amino acids needed for fat burning.
Question 4 of 9
What does the author identify as the historical benchmark for a truly 'low-fat' diet?
  • A. Getting around 30 percent of total daily calories from fat.
  • B. Getting around 20 percent of total daily calories from fat.
  • C. Getting around 10 percent of total daily calories from fat.
  • D. Getting exactly 0 percent of total daily calories from fat.
Question 5 of 9
Why is reducing 'calorie density' more effective than simply eating smaller portions?
  • A. Low-calorie-dense foods contain specialized enzymes that actively dissolve visceral fat.
  • B. Smaller portions cause the stomach to shrink permanently, which can lead to malnutrition.
  • C. Calorie-dense foods block the intestines from absorbing essential vitamins and minerals.
  • D. Stomach stretch receptors register the volume of food to signal fullness, not the number of calories consumed.
Question 6 of 9
What specific benefit do legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas) provide for weight management?
  • A. They are highly satiating, which naturally causes people to eat significantly fewer calories at their subsequent meals.
  • B. They contain zero carbohydrates, forcing the body into a state of rapid ketosis.
  • C. They require more calories for the body to digest than they actually contain.
  • D. They coat the stomach lining, preventing the absorption of all dietary fats.
Question 7 of 9
Why does the book recommend 'front-loading' your meals (eating a larger breakfast and a smaller dinner)?
  • A. Willpower to resist sugary foods is scientifically proven to be highest in the morning.
  • B. The body uses 50 percent more calories to digest breakfast than it does to digest an evening meal.
  • C. Eating large meals at night causes food to ferment in the digestive tract, leading to weight gain.
  • D. Fasting during the evening hours permanently shrinks the size of the stomach.
Question 8 of 9
How does a lack of sleep negatively impact a weight-loss program?
  • A. It causes the body to retain excess water, leading to severe bloating and weight gain.
  • B. It stops the production of insulin, making it impossible for the body to break down carbohydrates.
  • C. It leads to eating more calories out of tiredness and causes the body to burn lean muscle mass instead of fat.
  • D. It accelerates the metabolism too quickly, causing the body to store all consumed food as fat for emergency energy.
Question 9 of 9
What counterintuitive 'actionable advice' does the author give to cut overall calorie intake?
  • A. Drink a large glass of milk immediately after finishing your main meal.
  • B. Add an extra course to your meal by 'preloading' with a low-calorie-density food like an apple or a salad.
  • C. Eat a small, high-fat snack, such as a piece of cheese, an hour before dinner to kill your appetite.
  • D. Eat your main meal as quickly as possible so you finish before your brain registers hunger.

How Not to Diet — Full Chapter Overview

How Not to Diet Summary & Overview

How Not to Diet (2019) explores how a healthy, plant-based diet can achieve effective, healthy, and sustainable weight loss. It also explores why so many people are overweight and offers a clear and detailed guide for tackling the issue. There are no quick-fixes or fad diets here, just rigorous science-based advice you can trust.

Who Should Listen to How Not to Diet?

  • Dieters looking for a rigorous, evidence-based approach 
  • Anyone who wants to live a long, healthy life
  • People who’ve tried and failed to diet in the past

About the Author: Michael Greger

Michael Greger, M.D., is an American physician, author, and public health advocate. The best-selling author of How Not to Die and the How Not to Die Cookbook, Greger has also published multiple academic papers. Greger aims to be a source of information you can trust, donates all profits from his books and speaking engagements to charity, and runs a free website, NutritionFacts.org. 

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