Daniel Korn was nice enough to send me a copy of his book, "Why Diet and Exercise Fail", for review. The book is an analysis of different worldwide diets and how each affects obesity levels. Daniel analyzes what are usual suspects for causing obesity and then dismisses each in turn.
By the end of the book, there is a focus on what are the real potential causes: chemical agents in foods, nutritional deficiencies, and gut bacteria. All of this fits in nicely with the new research on the links between gut bacteria and obesity. He also mentions a key example: farmers have traditionally used antibiotics to fatten up livestock. Antibiotics upset the gut balance which leads to livestock overeating. By consuming acidic foods and chemical ingredients, the same process may be happening with humans.
The book is a bit shorter and self-published, but that doesn't really detract from it. It seems like a sincere effort to answer an important question: why are people gaining weight?
There are a couple of key points made in the book. The first deals with low-carb diets. He states that as people consume unhealthy food and become overweight, they lose gut bacteria. This means they lose the ability to properly digest foods like fruits and vegetables. When they go on a low-carb diet, they may feel better because now they don't have the digestive issues. I would add here that a low-carb diet is then treating the symptoms of inflammation and not the cause. If a person's gut bacteria is out of whack and they can't digest healthy carbs, then the appropriate long-term solution is not to go low-carb. A person should work on adding healthy carbs back in along with good bacteria (probiotics).
This also connects to whole grains. Daniel explains that obesity and diabetes were low in the US way back when 80% of all calories were coming from whole grains. Apparently, the combination of oils and fiber in whole grains can keep gut bacteria in working order. Refined grains with the fiber and oils stripped out disrupt gut bacteria. All this can explain how someone like Clarence Bass, who has been eating whole grains for decades, can remain lean. Also, this does not mean that whole grains are superior to fruits and vegetables in any way. It just shows that whole grains may not upset the gut bacteria in the way that refined grains do.
Overall, it was a good read. I learned some things and enjoyed it. It's good to see a book with an honest purpose.
