science

Why We Get Fat

Why We Get Fat is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Why We Get Fat rather than just read about it. In short: Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It is a 2010 book by controversial journalist Gary Taubes. Following Taubes's 2007 book Good Calories, Bad Calories, in which he argues that the modern diet's inclusion of too many refined carbohydrates is a primary contributor to the obesity epidemic, he elaborates in Why We Get Fat on how according to him people can change their diets.

Key takeaways

Why We Get Fat belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Why We Get Fat to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Why We Get Fat from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It is a 2010 book by controversial journalist Gary Taubes. Following Taubes's 2007 book Good Calories, Bad Calories, in which he argues that the modern diet's inclusion of too many refined carbohydrates is a primary contributor to the obesity epidemic, he elaborates in Why We Get Fat on how according to him people can change their diets. Taubes is a controversial figure whose work often goes against accepted scientific, governmental, and popular tenets such as that obesity is caused by eating too much and exercising too little and that excessive consumption of fat, especially saturated fat in animal products, leads to cardiovascular disease. Harriet A. Hall, has criticized Taubes for selectively quoting the meta-analysis, and, writing for Science-Based Medicine, states that although it is possible some of Taubes' hypotheses may be borne out by subsequent evidence, his idea that carbohydrate restriction can lead to weight loss independently of calorie restriction is "simply wrong".

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Why We Get Fat

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Why We Get Fat claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Why We Get Fat before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Why We Get Fat ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Why We Get Fat

In research: Why We Get Fat appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Why We Get Fat in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Why We Get Fat is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2010 non-fiction books, Alfred A. Knopf books, Books about food and drink, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Why We Get Fat outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Why We Get Fat in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Why We Get Fat means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Why We Get Fat out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Why We Get Fat in simple terms?

Why does Why We Get Fat matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Why We Get Fat?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Why We Get Fat.