Secrets from the Eating Lab

From her Health and Eating Laboratory at the University of Minnesota, Professor Traci Mann researches self-control and dieting. And what she has discovered is groundbreaking: not only do diets not work, they often result in weight gain. In Secrets from the Eating Lab, Mann challenges assumptions—including those that make up the foundation of the weight loss industry—about how diets work and why they fail. As Mann explains, most weight loss plans are reliant on the notion of willpower—and willpower is an illusion. Moreover, even when we are able to successfully lose weight, our bodies fight our efforts, seeking to regain the weight we’ve worked so hard to lose. In the end, we become chronic “yo-yo” dieters, destined to lose and regain the same pounds time and again. The diet industry is well aware of these facts and has tellingly built their business model on the concept of the “repeat customer”; they know we’ll be back. In this book, Mann presents an arsenal of simple, commonsense strategies that take advantage of human nature instead of fighting it—helping you to achieve a healthy and sustainable weight.