The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss (Why Intermittent Fasting Is the Key to Controlling Your Weight)

Dr. Jason Fung

Mar 2016 · The Code Series Book 1 · Greystone Books

About this ebook

FROM NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR DR. JASON FUNG: The landmark book that is helping thousands of people lose weight for good.

Harness the power of intermittent fasting for lasting weight loss.

Understand the science of weight gain and insulin resistance.

Stop suffering and ditch calorie counting, yoyo diets, and excessive exercise.

In this highly readable book, Dr. Jason Fung, long considered the founder of intermittent fasting, sets out an original theory of obesity and weight gain. He reveals that everything you've been told about how to lose weight is wrong: weight gain is driven by hormones, and only by understanding the effects of insulin and insulin resistance can we achieve lasting weight loss.

Dr. Fung shares five basic steps to controlling your insulin for better health. And he explains how to use intermittent fasting to break the cycle of insulin resistance and reach a healthy weight—permanently.

Ratings and reviews

Written by an internal medicine specialist this book puts forth that the "eat less and more more" and low fat philosophy that has been recommended for so many years, and that has failed repeatedly (as any dieter knows), is just plain wrong. He also cites many studies to back that up. The author contends that it is not as simple as calories in/calories out, although that is part of the mix. He contends that insulin and insulin resistance are the main reason that we are obese. To combat this he recommends several things such as cutting out all snacks, removing as many processed foods and added sugars as possible, reducing overall carbohydrates and fasting to both regulate insulin levels and reset your set weight. There is a lot to like in this book but the author sometimes simplifies things a little too much, such as using the BMI scale's obesity as his measure for health. That said this is a very good book overall.

To put it bluntly, Dr. Fung cuts the s**t. He gets down to the real science of obesity, and explains everything in a way that a regular person can understand. I read the entire book but in the end, still felt like I was left with questions about what to do with this information. Okay, now I know that obesity is partially caused by insulin resistance that forms from high insulin levels sustained over a long period of time, but what should I do now? How can I take this information and actually apply it? He suggests stopping snacking and making use of intermittent fasting, but overall I am left wanting a solidified plan. Perhaps a steady plan (other than the meal plans) was not provided because Dr. Fung operates a clinic and they are reserved for those willing to pay the fee.

I've been fasting for 16+ hours since October 2020. I've lost about 30pounds and it's been the easiest way to loose weight for me. I enjoyed reading the simple text.

About the author

Dr. Jason Fung is a New York Times-bestselling author whose books include The Obesity Code, The Diabetes Code, The Obesity Code Cookbook, The PCOS Plan, Life in the Fasting Lane, and The Complete Guide to Fasting. Dr. Fung completed medical school at the University of Toronto and a fellowship in nephrology at the University of California. Dr. Fung is also the co-founder of The Fasting Method, a program to help people lose weight and reverse Type 2 Diabetes naturally with fasting. He lives in Toronto.

Timothy Noakes is Professor of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Cape Town, a marathon runner, and the author of the bestseller The Lore of Running. After discovering research supporting a high fat, low carb diet as the healthiest option for many people, he started the Noakes Foundation in 2012, and has dedicated his life to opening people's eyes to the myth of low-fat eating and the nutritional and environmental crisis it has led us to.