Gene Eating

by Giles Yeo

Overview

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 mis- information 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643131696
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	06/04/2019
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	590,124
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

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.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Part 1 A Game of Inches

1 Are your genes to blame when your jeans don't fit? 3

2 It's all in your head 26

3 All calories are equal, but some calories are more equal than others 59

Part 2 Palaeolithic Dreams

4 Should we eat like the Flintstones? 87

5 Good gluten, bad gluten and ugly gluten 121

6 Blessed are the cheesemakers 149

Part 3 Let Food be Thy Medicine

7 I am 'plant-based', NOT a vegan 177

8 Cleanse and detox 206

9 The alkaline swindle 230

Part 4 Problem of Our Time

10 Eat like this and look like me 253

11 What's the right diet for you? 274

12 The perfect diet written in your genes 303

Epilogue 'Yeo Truths' 325

Acknowledgements 330

About the author 333

References 334

Index 348

Editorial Reviews

★ 05/20/2019

Yeo, a geneticist who runs the Metabolic Disease Unit at the U.K. government’s Medical Research Council and moonlights as a BBC science commentator, offers an “anti-diet book” that’s less a tutorial than a gently humorous, if very erudite, travelogue through the world of fad diets. Skip the Paleo diet, he argues—Paleo man did. “Cleanses” don’t cleanse, he writes—skip those too and remember that the livers and kidneys already fulfill that function. Too much processed meat is unhealthy, but it is “pseudoscience” to suggest all animal-based protein is harmful, not to mention an example of the complacency incurred by having a surplus, not a lack, of available nutrition. Ditto for gluten, at least for most people. The book finishes up with some memorable “Yeo Truths,” such as to not “feel bad if feels hard, because it ain’t s’posed to be easy” and to “go forth, be sensible, be moderate (and to paraphrase Oscar Wilde) even with moderation.” Perhaps most importantly, Yeo tells readers to view food as something to work with, not to fear. His well-informed survey will leave health-conscious readers both entertained and with plenty of food for thought. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Gene Eating, by Dr. Giles Yeo, is a very enjoyable read by someone who knows what they are writing about. It is rare to find a book, written by a world class scientist, that is both informative and entertaining. Giles not only delves into the science of obesity but, with honesty and great precision, skewers many of the more foolish fad diets out there.

Michael Mosley

Giles Yeo makes so much sense, and cuts through the confusion about diet and health with refreshing directness. His excellent book Gene Eating busts myths and homes in on what you really need to know. It’s been a genuine help to me and I’m sure it will be to everyone who reads it.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Dr. Yeo is a leading scientist in the field of obesity and one of our best science communicators. Everyone worried about their weight ought to read this book to digest its message about the importance of genetics.

Robert Plomin

Entertaining and fact-filled.

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