Stephan J. Guyenet, PhD

The science of body weight and health

Bad sugar or bad journalism? An expert review of “The Case Against Sugar”.

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Photo by Lauri Andler

I’ve been asked by a number of people to review Gary Taubes’s new book, The Case Against Sugar. I reluctantly agreed that it would probably be a good idea for me to do so. In this post, I’ll provide something that is not available anywhere else (to my knowledge): a review of the book from the perspective of a former researcher who is an expert in some of the topics it discusses. [update 7/22/17: there is now a second detailed expert review of the book available here]

The Case Against Sugar is a journey through sugar history and science that argues the point that sugar is the principal cause of obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and many other common noncommunicable diseases. This differs from the prevailing view in the research and public health communities that obesity and noncommunicable disease are multi-factorial, with refined sugar playing a role among other things like excess calorie intake, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, alcohol and illegal drug use, and various other diet and lifestyle factors. I side with the latter view. In case anyone is wondering, I’ve never had any contact with the sugar industry and I have no other relevant conflicts of interest.

I’ll break the review into two parts, the first covering the historical aspects of the book, and the second covering its scientific aspects.

[Read more…]

Book Update

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Hello, folks.  My book, The Hungry Brain: Outsmarting the Instincts that Make Us Overeat is due to be released on February 7, and I’m very excited about it.  It’s substantially different from any other book on overeating and weight management, and I believe it will inject much-needed information into the public discourse on obesity.  Given that the brain governs all behavior including eating, it’s remarkable that no other general-audience book has looked broadly at its role in overeating and body weight (to my knowledge).  The Hungry Brain is based on thirty-six expert interviews, hundreds of scientific papers, and my own scientific expertise.  My goal is to give you the best that neuroscience, obesity research, and my noggin have to offer.

The Hungry Brain has received outstanding reviews from The New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and many knowledgeable individuals.  You can read excerpts on my book page.

I’ll be doing a book reading and signing at The Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle on February 8 at 7:00 pm.  Come hear me read a bit from the book, expand on one of the topics in it, and take questions.

Behind the scenes, my publicist and I are cooking up a few strategies to help get the word out.  In the coming weeks, I’ll be appearing in a number of interviews.  I may do a Reddit AMA.  If you think my work is valuable, please spread the word!