My book, The Hungry Brain, covers the science of eating behavior and body fatness and offers some tools for putting that evidence into practice. Yet The Hungry Brain isn't really a weight loss book because it's more focused on understanding body … [Read more]
Reflections on the US News & World Report diet rankings, and my involvement in them
Each year, US News & World Report publishes diet rankings based on the opinions of a panel of experts. This year, I served on the panel. In this post, I'll discuss my general thoughts on the rankings, as well as the fact that the popular … [Read more]
Interesting new genetic study on insulin secretion and body mass
A new study uses a powerful genetic tool called Mendelian randomization to examine the relationship between meal-related insulin secretion and body mass. The results suggest that gene variants that increase post-meal insulin release may modestly … [Read more]
Obesity prevalence continues to increase in the US
The Centers for Disease Control provides the most accurate estimates of obesity prevalence in the US, based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. They just released data for the 2015-2016 survey period, and it doesn't … [Read more]
Where the praties grow: My seven-day potato diet experiment
I recently finished the book Potato: A history of the propitious esculent. In it, John Reader takes his audience on a meandering tour of the potato's history, ranging from academic explanations of the potato's role in early industrial labor markets … [Read more]
The hungry brain in the 21st century: Challenges and opportunities for health
On October 12, I'll be speaking at the Evolutionary Nutrition conference and Staffan Lindeberg memorial in Lisbon, Portugal. I was asked to write a one-page abstract of my talk, which I have reproduced below. … [Read more]