Why Diets Make Us Fat audiobook cover - The Unintended Consequences of Our Obsession With Weight Loss

Why Diets Make Us Fat

The Unintended Consequences of Our Obsession With Weight Loss

Sandra Aamodt

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Health & Nutrition

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Why Diets Make Us Fat
Biological & Evolutionary Barriers+
The Willpower Myth+
Harms of Diet Culture+
Mindful Eating+
Exercise vs. Thinness+
Building Healthy Habits+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
Why is it so difficult to maintain weight loss over the long term, according to the book?
  • A. Modern diets lack the essential nutrients needed to support long-term metabolic health.
  • B. The brain interprets significant weight loss as starvation and actively works to return the body to its 'defended range.'
  • C. The body's energy-balance system shuts down completely when calorie intake drops below a certain threshold.
  • D. People naturally lose their motivation to exercise once they hit their target weight.
Question 2 of 7
What is the author's stance on using willpower to maintain a healthy diet?
  • A. It is the most critical factor in achieving long-term weight loss.
  • B. It acts like a muscle that grows stronger the more frequently you resist sugary foods.
  • C. It is a finite resource that is highly ineffective for making long-term decisions about food.
  • D. It is only effective if combined with a strict calorie-counting regimen.
Question 3 of 7
What did the 1990s study in Fiji reveal about body image and eating habits?
  • A. The introduction of Western television led to a dramatic increase in eating disorders among local girls.
  • B. Traditional Fijian diets were naturally more effective at preventing obesity than modern Western diets.
  • C. Girls who were fat-shamed by their peers were twice as likely to lose weight over a five-year period.
  • D. The average weight of teenage girls dropped significantly within three years of satellite TV being introduced.
Question 4 of 7
How did the twin studies conducted by Claude Bouchard and Angelo Tremblay demonstrate the role of genetics in weight?
  • A. Identical twins burned calories twice as fast as non-identical twins when performing the same exercises.
  • B. Non-identical twins gained the exact same amount of weight when overfed, proving environment overrides genetics.
  • C. Identical twins experienced nearly identical weight gain or loss, while non-identical twins showed wide variations.
  • D. Twins with a family history of obesity were entirely unable to lose weight despite a 1,000-calorie deficit.
Question 5 of 7
Which of the following is recommended as a technique for 'mindful eating'?
  • A. Waiting until you are completely famished before sitting down for a meal.
  • B. Relying strictly on external cues like portion sizes and calorie counts.
  • C. Eating while watching television to distract yourself from cravings.
  • D. Putting your utensil down between bites to savor the food and eat at a slower pace.
Question 6 of 7
What was the key finding of Jeremy Morris's 1949 study on London transport employees?
  • A. Sedentary bus drivers lived longer because they experienced less physical stress than conductors.
  • B. Active bus conductors had fewer heart attacks than sedentary drivers, even if the conductors were heavier.
  • C. Bus drivers and conductors had the same rate of heart attacks, proving that diet is more important than exercise.
  • D. Only the conductors who maintained a low body weight saw any cardiovascular benefits from their active jobs.
Question 7 of 7
According to the text, what is a crucial rule for successfully breaking a bad habit like snacking on junk food?
  • A. You must use your willpower to completely stop the behavior for exactly 21 days.
  • B. You must replace the bad habit with a positive one, rather than trying to do nothing at all.
  • C. You should set a highly ambitious goal, such as exercising every single day, to shock your system.
  • D. You should change your diet, exercise routine, and daily schedule all at the same time for maximum effect.

Why Diets Make Us Fat — Full Chapter Overview

Why Diets Make Us Fat Summary & Overview

Why Diets Make Us Fat (2016) demolishes many popular myths about diets and the relationship between weight and health. These blinks explore the science behind claims that dieting just doesn’t work and offer alternatives for people seeking to shed a few pounds and live more healthily.

Who Should Listen to Why Diets Make Us Fat?

  • Anyone struggling to lose weight
  • People interested in the science behind eating healthily
  • Individuals wanting to develop better eating habits

About the Author: Sandra Aamodt

Sandra Aamodt is a neuroscientist and popular science writer. She is the former editor-in-chief of Nature Neuroscience and coauthor of the books Welcome to Your Brain and Welcome to Your Child’s Brain.

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