The Fat Fallacy : The French Diet Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss

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Amazon rating of 4.5 out of 5, Amazon sales rank: 12467

Fat is not the enemy!


Croissants. Brioche. Brie. To the American palate, these foods are fattening and oftentimes "forbidden." Yet they are the regular staples of the French diet. And though almost half of all Americans are overweight, France's obesity rate is at a low eight percent, while the French also boast fewer cases of stroke and heart disease. It's clear that America's obsession with low-fat and fat-free foods has ultimately failed.
In The Fat Fallacy, neuroscientist Will Clower explains precisely why the American diet sabotages weight-loss efforts and discusses how French eating habits can lead to better health and trimmer physiques. In this revolutionary work, Dr. Clower explains:

• How highly processed "fake foods" are the real culprit in the American diet
• Why it's not just what you eat but how you eat that makes a difference
• Easy ways to adopt the habits of the French to melt the pounds away, including
complete dinner recipes-with dessert!

Finally, here's a plan that cuts through the high-protein/low-fat debate. It's not a gimmicky diet program but a way of life that will invite Americans to enjoy food like never before-while being healthier and trimmer than they ever could have imagined.

Reader Reviews:

Being a Neurophysiology which is a part of physiology as a science, which is concerned with the study of the nervous system. It is closely connected with psychology, neurology, clinical neurophysiology, electrophysiology, ethology, higher nervous activity and other schools of science makes the author more than qualified to write a book on how food effects the human body. And anyone who has lived in France for two years and has shut up and listened and observed, should be qualified in some way to discuss how the French eat and why they are so healthy compared to most Americans.

Having said that, I find the book full of wisdom that should a reader use even a small amount their life and health should improve alot. Sure the author drives home common sense things like stop eating faux foods, or eat small servings and he notes on page 122 'This diet is about giving up quantity for quality, about eating richer, better food and loving it more. Eating fewer calories falls out naturally from that.... You aren't losing weight, you are developing a healthy relationship with your food. Weight loss just happens.'

Going back to page 3 the author shows that in the United States 13,000 new fat free products invented in the last 15 years whereas in France you wont find such products. That the % of fat in the diet is lower in the US, 30-35% but 10% higher in France where obesity is almost unheard of. That in the US at least 30% of Americans are obese (this doesn't count those who are overweight or morbidly obese wheras in France the number is 8% and holding. Heart disease in the US is 3 times higher whereas in France it is 3 times lower. French women live years longer and French men 2 years longer than your average American.

And the author is 100% correct when he shares that people he has known (same with me) who have been in France for even a few weeks who have eaten in a total French way, are amazed that they lose weight and haven't really tried. And he shared on page 33 that 'Paul Rozin a scientist who explores the psychology of food, recently surveyed dietary viewpoints from many cultures. He pointed out that the French see food in terms of what it can do for you. Americans, on the other hand, view it in terms of the harm it can inflict'.

The author also shows keenly that Americans cheat when it comes to food whereas the French savour what they do eat which means that unlike the American cheater who eats fast in order to hide their mistake, the French not only can tell you what they ate and why they loved it, but can do so while eating 75% less than the average American.

The author also wisely reminds the reader that its their responsibility to stop making excuses and start making wiser choices. So what if when eating out the serving size is enough for three or four meals, grow up and learn to eat less and leave the leftovers or take them home for two more meals. Or better yet pick better places to eat where the serving sizes are more European in size.

The only complaint I have about the book is the title which I would have preferred to be The French Lifestyle Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss since studies show that only around 20% of people who diet succeed, whereas those who make lifestyle changes which are more permanent, have a much higher success rate.

I kept getting the feeling over and over that the only reason the chapter I was currently reading existed was because the publisher gave him a minimum page count. The repetition and dry anecdotes made it a very boring read. The material would be much better suited in a pamphelt, or perhaps a website. I guess that doesn't make money though does it?

Also, I would like to let people know this is an eating *philosophy*, not a diet. I'm not saying that to sound pretentious, more so warning that if you're looking for a specific layout of how to do things, this is not the book for you. He gives loose guidelines and suggestions. It boils down to switching out low-fat foods for high fat, carbs are fine, eat less red meat (poultry and fish are fine), eat smaller portions and eat them more slowly. Oh and don't forget a glass of wine with your meal!

You could get the gist from reading these reviews, but if you really need the extra push and you have nothing better to do... go ahead and buy the book.I read this book over a year ago and forgot about it. It all made sense to me, but I don't think I was ready to give up on the next "miracle diet." I honestly don't know what happened to that copy. Flash forward a year and there I was searching Amazon for a "non-diet" book because I was finally ready to give up on the diet stupidity that had only helped me GAIN weight over the years instead of shed it and keep it off. I rebought this book. I didn't know I had already read it until I got it and opened it up. I recongnized the graphics and the easy-going writing style.

Well, I reread it in a couple of days. I couldn't put it down. The advice is very simple, and I think once you're ready, this way of relating to food is a total pleasure! I've been waiting until hungry to eat, slowing down, taking smaller bites and the best part? I'm eating whatever I want to eat! This way of eating is so easy for me because I adore good cheeses, fresh fruits and veggies, fish, a good, dry red wine with dinner, and I eat meat, but only here and there. It was never the kind of foods I craved that were the problem (although any diet I was ever on since age 10 would beg to differ)... It was the quantity I was eating of the foods I was told I COULD eat. I think I've over-ridden my body signals for so long, I had no idea when I was satisfied, or what it even felt like anymore. It's still something I'm working on now because I'm so used to stuffing myself with "approved" foods from some list somewhere, to make up for not being able to eat what I really wanted.

I know this is my answer because even while on vacation, visiting my mother and grandmother (both life-long dieters), I still lost 2lbs in 6 days. I think I said, "no thank you, I'm not hungry yet" about 12 times a day as my mother would push food on me and my grandmother would watch, waiting to see what I'd say.

Anyway, if you're ready to give up on diets, tired of trying so hard and failing so miserably like I was, this book is for you. It'll help you to tune back in to your body, and help you change your habits for the better for long-lasting changes that will help your body shed the pounds naturally. After over 20 years on diets, I just wish I was ready for this message so much sooner. Better late than never, though! =)I absolutely love this book! Really, it's common sense. Cut out the refined, chemical laden foods, stop mindless snacking and mindless eating and enjoy your food. So far I've lost about 5 pounds in a week, but the peace of mind and freedom from diet and food obsession is worth a million bucks! I can't recomend this book highly enough. I am always amused by the reviewers who give books like this low ratings because "the author isn't a qualified nutritionist" or "he doesn't offer anything new or exotic". They don't seem to "get" that picking on this book because it isn't full of exotic, never-before-seen research and information misses the entire point. I think this is called the "straw man" argument - they insist the book ought to be about something else, and then attack it for the things it doesn't do...things which have little to do with the stated purpose of the book.

The real point of "The Fat Fallacy" isn't the information...it's the rhetoric, the author's arguments for the merits and pleasures of following this way of eating and living.
Although the book is marketed as a diet book, Clower writes about the pleasures of doing things right when it comes to food.
(Some of the passages could come right out of a cookbook by Alton Brown, Rachel Ray, or Julia Child). His argument, essentially is: treat your food right, and it will treat you right...no deprivation or fads or unhealthy habits required.

Clower writes in a friendly, engaging manner in which many readers, overwhelmed with masses of conflicting, confusing diet and nutrition information, may well find an encouraging voice of humor and sanity. Clower presents his case for eating in the French/Continental manner with a pleasing, undogmatic blend of anecdotal evidence and epidemological data and appeals to common sense and our own better natures. Again, it's called "rhetoric", folks, and it is intended to present "common knowledge" in a way that helps us to see what we may have missed or taken for granted.

I already "know" almost all the info in this book, except for the recipes and menu suggestions, and I still found it irresistible. Frankly, I picked TFF up at the bookstore, dipped into it, and found a recommendation to try combining walnuts and bleu cheese as a satisfying taste treat. I put the book down, bought some at a local deli later, tried it, and was blown away by how good the combo was. So the next time I was at the bookstore, I bought "The Fat Fallacy".

So there's your argument for purchasing this book, or at least borrowing it from your local library. There is a lot of useful, helpful info from all over pulled together in this book, presented in an entertaining, informative manner, accompanied by encouraging words that help to oppose the hurry-up-and-get-it-over-with approach to eating that American society imbues in us.
I like that a lot.

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