Burn
One of the foremost researchers in human metabolism reveals surprising new science behind food and exercise. We burn 2,000 calories a day. And if we exercise and cut carbs, we'll lose more weight. Right? Wrong. In this paradigm-shifting book, Herman Pontzer reveals for the first time how human metabolism really works so that we can finally manage our weight and improve our health. Pontzer's groundbreaking studies with hunter-gatherer tribes show how exercise doesn't increase our metabolism. Instead, we burn calories within a very narrow range: nearly 3,000 calories per day, no matter our activity level. This was a brilliant evolutionary strategy to survive in times of famine. Now it seems to doom us to obesity. The good news is we can lose weight, but we need to cut calories. Refuting such weight-loss hype as paleo, keto, anti-gluten, anti-grain, and even vegan, Pontzer discusses how all diets succeed or fail: For shedding pounds, a calorie is a calorie. At the same time, we must exercise to keep our body systems and signals functioning optimally, even if it won't make us thinner. Hunter-gatherers like the Hadza move about five hours a day and remain remarkably healthy into old age. But elite athletes can push the body too far, burning calories faster than their bodies can take them in. It may be that the most spectacular athletic feats are the result not just of great training, but of an astonishingly efficient digestive system.
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What Hacker News says
- I enjoyed reading both books, but especially Herman Pontzer's stories in Burn about his time with the Hadza people in Africa. The study is based in part on his research (Pontzer, 2018, Pontzer et al., 2021). His hypothesis does seem to be controversial and counter-intuitive.
Thank you for the link to the nutritionist's article. I'll read it with interest.
- The Macrofactor team has a great series of articles on their site that goes into probably more information than necessary.
I'd also look into Mike Isratel of Renaissance Periodization and their Youtube playlists, Eric Helms, Eric Trexler, Greg Nuckols of Stronger by Science, the Barbell Medicine team and their podcast, etc. For a book, you probably want Burn by Herman Pontzer.
You can get more complicated than what I've described, but you now know all the core actionable information. Learning too much can confuse lots of people, but if you stick to the simpler model for actionable information while you learn the nuances, eventually you'll start seeing the simplicity in the bigger picture.
- In the last few months I read two books on this topic, and both (if I recalled correctly) mentioned The Biggest Loser (or similar).
Exercised - Daniel E Lieberman
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/05/953249677/exercised-explains-...
Burn - Herman Pontzer (who I believe was a student of Lieberman's)
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-human-metabol...
Both a fairly dry and academic, but do get into the weeds if that's your thing.
A third book that's related but is an easier more entertaining read is "The Comfort Crisis" but Michael Easter.
https://eastermichael.com/book/
Easter actually interviews / quotes Lieberman.
The gist of all three...from an evolutionary perspective, the human body is designed for lean caloric times. When there is more calories than there is activity to burn it, those calories will be stored as fat (in preparation for leaner times). There's no ceiling on that so you'll keep adding weight.
In modern times, our evolutionary advantages become disadvantages. The best way to lose weight, is to not gain it in the first place.
- In 2023 it means...
An apple...not processed.
An ear of corn...not processed.
Oatmeal...not processed.
Frozen peas...not processed.
Breakfast cereal...processed.
Heat & serve meals in the frozen section...processed.
Yogurt with fruit (and tons of sugar) pre-added...processed.
Soft drinks...processed.
Kid's "Happy Meal"...processed.
And so on.
Btw, Slaughtered and butchered meats !== processed meats.
Recommened book:
- Exercised - D Lieberman
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/aug/29/exercised-by-d...
- Burn - Pontzer
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/07/16/1016931...
- Comfort Crisis - M Easter
- Scarcity Brain - M Easter
Also recommended, the series "The Foods That Built America" on the History Channel.
p.s. Again, key phrase "as we evolved". Last I checked archeologist aren't digging up McDonald's from eons ago.
- As an alternative, there is no one single cause of the obesity epidemic. People are made of confounding factors, and the world is very complicated. The world does not owe you simple explanations.
Two books have helped me understand the obesity epidemic:
Burn by Pontzer - https://www.amazon.com/Burn/dp/0241388422
Podcast about above: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CSNS45RJL0
Hungry Brain by Guyenet - https://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Brain-Outsmarting-Instincts-Ov...
Podcast about above: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlWriMdYuKk
