Diet cults : the surprising fallacy at the core of nutrition fads and a guide to healthy eating for the rest of us

**From the national bestselling author of __Racing Weight__, Matt Fitzgerald exposes the irrationality, half-truths, and downright impossibility of a “single right way” to eat, and reveals how to develop rational, healthy eating habits.** From “The Four Hour Body,” to “Atkins,” there are diet cults to match seemingly any mood and personality type. Everywhere we turn, someone is preaching the “One True Way” to eat for maximum health. Paleo Diet advocates tell us that all foods less than 12,000 years old are the enemy. Low-carb gurus demonize carbs, then there are the low-fat prophets. But they agree on one thing: there is only one true way to eat for maximum health. The first clue that that is a fallacy is the sheer variety of diets advocated. Indeed, while all of these competing views claim to be backed by “science,” a good look at actual nutritional science itself suggests that it is impossible to identify a single best way to eat. Fitzgerald advocates an agnostic, rational approach to eating habits, based on one’s own habits, lifestyle, and genetics/body type. Many professional athletes already practice this “Good Enough” diet, and now we can too and ditch the brainwashing of these diet cults for good. From the raw food movement to Atkins, an ever-increasing number of health and weight-loss diets are engaged in an overheated struggle for new converts. Paleo Diet advocates tell us that all foods less than 12,000 years old are the enemy. Vegans demonize animal foods. Then there are the low-fat prophets and supplement devotees. But underneath such differences, author Fitzgerald observes, these disparate groups all agree on one thing: that there is only "One True Way" to eat. The first clue that this is untrue is the sheer variety of diets. Indeed, while all of these competing "diet cults" claim to be backed by science, a good look at actual nutritional science suggests that there is no single best way to eat. What makes us human is our ability to eat--and enjoy--a wide variety of foods. The appeal of diet cults is their power to offer a food-based identity to latch onto--yet many more of us are turned off by their arbitrary rules. Fitzgerald offers an alternative: an "agnostic," reasonable approach to healthy eating that is flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of personal preferences and lifestyles.--From publisher description From “The Four Hour Body,” to “Atkins,” there are diet cults to match seemingly any mood and personality type. Everywhere we turn, someone is preaching the “One True Way” to eat for maximum health. Paleo Diet advocates tell us that all foods less than 12,000 years old are the enemy. Low-carb gurus demonize carbs, then there are the low-fat prophets. But they agree on one thing: there is only one true way to eat for maximum health. The first clue that that is a fallacy is the sheer variety of diets advocated. Indeed, while all of these competing views claim to be backed by “science,” a good look at actual nutritional science itself suggests that it is impossible to identify a single best way to eat. Fitzgerald advocates an agnostic, rational approach to eating habits, based on one's own habits, life- style, and genetics/body type. Many professional athletes already practice this “Good Enough” diet, and now we can too and ditch the brainwashing of these diet cults for good. From the raw food movement to Atkins, an ever-increasing number of health and weight-loss diets are engaged in an overheated struggle for new converts. But underneath such differences, author Fitzgerald observes, these disparate groups all agree on one thing: that there is only "One True Way" to eat. The first clue that this is untrue is the sheer variety of diets. Indeed, while all of these competing "diet cults" claim to be backed by science, a good look at actual nutritional science suggests that there is no single best way to eat. What makes us human is our ability to eat -- and enjoy -- a wide variety of foods. The appeal of diet cults is their power to offer a food-based identity to latch onto, yet many more of us are turned off by their arbitrary rules. Fitzgerald offers an alternative: an "agnostic," reasonable approach to healthy eating that is flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of personal preferences and lifestyles