Gut Reactions

December 1, 2018
Before 1900, the incidence of obesity in the U.S. was about four-percent. Today, it's 35-percent. Alterations in diet, easy access to food and enhanced palatability, and less active lifestyles all contribute to this growing problem. Field scrutinizes the usual foodstuff suspects?sugar (high fructose corn syrup is especially bad), protein, starch, dietary fat, salt. Fiber is practically heroic (zero calories and a useful prebiotic). The biggest section of the book is focused on hormones: insulin, glucagon, ghrelin (an appetite stimulant), leptin (a satiety hormone). The influence of genetics, environmental factors, sleep, and insulin resistance are covered. A fascinating discussion of gut microbes and their linkage to weight is included. Field does not discuss surgical treatments for obesity (gastric bypass, gastric banding). Observing that Americans currently consume approximately 20-percent more calories daily than they did in 1970, Field warns, "In an environment that is full of sugary, fatty, salty foods, everyone gains weight." Something's got to give, and without serious changes, it's likely to be our waist sizes. A handy introduction to a hefty health predicament.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)