Anna Karenina

First, we can agree that "obesity is... a disorder of excess fat accumulation". What author Gary Taubes asks in his book "Why We Get Fat" is "what regulates fat accumulation?" Taubes argues that the the usual suspects, overeating and sedentary behavior are not the answer.

In fact, it is true that " very little evidence exists to support the belief that the number of calories we expend has any effect on how fat we are. In 1977, the National Institutes of Health reported "the importance of exercise in weight control is less than might be expected." And a 1989 Danish study showed that previously sedentary men who trained 18 months for a marathon, lost, on average, 5 pounds of bodyfat.

Taubes argues persuasively that the old thermodynamic "calories in versus calories out" Formula is misapplied and has nothing to do with why we accumulate fat. Instead, Taubes posits,it's the Carbohydrates that make us fat.



Taubes does a good job of explaining the science behind his argument. He compares fat tissues to a wallet. Fat is continuously going in and out. The form of the fat determines if it is burned as fuel (fatty acids) or stored in the fat tissues ( triglycerides). And insulin is the principal regulator of fat metabolism. Simplistically, when you eat a meal containing carbs it is converted into sugar(glucose). The glucose is either used as fuel or stored. Insulin is secreted and increases the rate at which sugar is pumped from the bloodstream. Again, some is burned, some is stored.

Due to genetics and other factors, some people are more prone to burn fuel, and some less so. Taubes writes "not all of us will get fat when we eat carbs, but for those who do get fat, the carbs are to blame." I subscribe to the science behind this thinking ( ever since I read "Sugar Busters" many moons ago.) and limit my carbohydrate intake.

The only way to find out the level of carbohydrate intake one can tolerate is to exclude them and reintroduce them slowly. Taubes suggests the following consumption: unlimited meat, poultry, and fish/ 2 cups of salad greens/ 1 cup of non-starchy veg, and bouillon for sodium replenishment. Up fo 4 ounces of cheese, 4 TBsp cream, mayonnaise, olives, avocado, and pickles.




No sugar of any kind, no dairy except the cream, no fruit, and no starches (bread, pasta, rice, beans,etc.) and no starchy vegetables ( carrots, peas, parsnips, potatoes,etc.)




Taubes backs up his approach with evidence that this was the type of eating
plan that obese patients benefited from up until the 1960s. Further, Taubes successfully defends against some of the arguments used to refute this eating model. I recommend you read the book and see for yourself.

In Anna Karenina, Tolstoy writes of Count Vronsky "still he had to avoid gaining weight, and he avoided starchy foods and desserts."