First let me tell you, Why Women Need Fat, was VERY hard for me to get through. This type of book does not appeal to me at all, BUT the first page hooked me in (for a little while at least) because I could relate to it. I am a mom who is struggling to lose the baby weight on regular diets. The first thing to strike me as "Wow" was when they said, Diets are making us fat! Really? Yes! Because you generally gain all the weight you lost plus some back when you stop 'dieting'.
The book goes on to tell you about how our ancestors ate natural foods, like butter, and how healthy they were and as time progressed how we became more overweight as a society, trying to eat the 'healthier' foods, like Omega fats and unsaturated fats like vegetable oil. As a nation we were 'tricked' into eating the 'healthier' foods that we're actually making us fat instead. The book compares American weights and other weights such as Italian's, and how they are thinner than us and eat fattier foods than us. The book compares between different shaped woman and how their diets differ. It also links the Omega 3's and Omega 6's to the increase in our American cultures weight. 
The Authors talk about waist to hip ratio and how men are drawn to the lower ratios, small waist large hip. They write about how woman store their fat in their hips for future babies, and how GAINING weight after our first baby is beneficial to our future children. Another wow from me!The book was talking about how births differ and how a baby's head is so big nowadays, and how more women need C-sections to complete the birth process. It related a story about an ape giving birth and how it was so easy for her she stood up from a sleep, and reached down and took the baby out and soon it was playing.
I'm taking this directly from the book now:" The change in the pelvis came first, beginning about 6 million years ago when some pioneering apes first started walking upright."
That quote was from evolution believing minds, not God fearing men. Just my view on that....Had to point it out. I'm slightly less intrigued at this point, only because of my religion. They related the change in our hip shape to those of apes, evolution of man. Hmmmm.
The size of a woman's waist predicts the size of her unborn children. Small waist = small baby, where as big waist = big baby. Some of the statements and facts in this book are mind boggling. As I read it I was appalled at some and transfixed by others.
The last part of the book told you what to eat and how to find your natural weight and body shape.
***One last thing, I was kind of put off by all the playmates references.
Before I even picked up this book, I had switched to REAL butter instead of fake 'Country Crock' like substitutes. Yesterday at the market I was more conscious at what I put in my shopping cart, I noticed more veggies and fruit and less of the more convenient items, like freezer meals. So it has affected the way I shop a little. I always knew that diets didn't work for me and that a change in the 'way of life' is the way I needed to go. This book supports that feeling.
<3 Carrie
Disclaimer Statements: Photos in this post are not mine and we're found on the Internet. This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.
Well having not read the book I don't know exactly he to respond but as a trained chef I can say that a lot of our problems do come down to eating fake foods instead of natural foods. It is also portion size though. We also need to make an effort to exercise where our ancestors exercised out of neccessity. A farmer doesn't need a gym membership but an office worker living in n apartment does.
ReplyDeleteAs far the waist predicting birth size I say bs. My waist was the same for both my babies and E was 8 lbs 13 ounces and Aliyah was 7:14 my skinny girlfriend with a healthy pregnancy had a baby over 9 lbs.
Def agree with the exercise part and the Baby weight! Thanks for commenting! Means alot :)
DeleteThanks for the review and while I can say that I probably won't go reading this book, I am glad to read a REAL review from someone with honest opinions. Sometimes I read reviews and wonder if people even read the book. :)
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Karin about the birth size/waist thing. I call BS.
I would like to add that I think that in addition to portion size, I think that we have become accustomed, as Americans, to have whatever we want whenever we want just because we can (for the most part). Excess and convenience seem to be major issues.
Def Tiffany! Convenience is key! As moms its what is easy that is appealing to me as i think about what to make for dinner most nights. When I was cooking alot I seemed to eat less and better...
DeleteThat's awesome! I've never been a good dieter either, maybe its genetic. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree w eating natural foods. I've always shopped the perimeter of stores, its cheaper and less processed. I think of it this way... God made food perfectly for us, so we should eat it like that. We don't need to process food and change anything about it... Unless we want to get sick. Obesity is a sickness. I find it amazing that we have the ability to fight off many horrible diseases but can't seem to stop obesity and the plethora of illnesses associated w it.
Good luck w your new lifestyle! It's much easier to eat natural than to diet!
Its genetic, lol! Good points! Thanks for commenting :) And thanks for your support!
Delete