Why We Get Fat

The author of a huge compilation of nutritional research offers a more consumer-friendly guide to weight management. Narrator Mike Chamberlain's appealing performance provides the perfect tone for this eye-opening book. The reason so many people are overweight is the type of calories (carbohydrates) we take in, which makes our hormones tell us to eat more and that makes fat cells store calories instead of letting other tissues burn them. The author says that exercise, calorie restrictions, and surgical remedies can influence fat storage but that the effect is not nearly as strong as reducing the low-nutrient carbs we all love. The boyish, innocent quality in Chamberlain's voice moderates the polemical quality of Taubes's persuasive writing without diminishing his message and impressive scholarship. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine