Thinner Than All His Tribe: Food, History and Human Obesity

By Berman Hudson
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Published: May 23, 2012
Words: 70,122 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9780985623005

Short description

The obesity/diabetes epidemic seems unstoppable. But though seemingly complex, it is simply a case of human ecology gone awry. We have become a sedentary species living in vast urban feedlots, and like cattle, we eat and become obese. This book details the long co-evolution of humans and their food. It also explains why things went so bad so fast in the 20th century and how we can save ourselves.

Extended description

Despite millions spent each year on research and treatment, obesity in America keeps getting worse. But there is hope. Although the causes are seemingly complex, obesity is, at its core, a simple example of human ecology gone awry. This book explains how things went so bad so fast and offers a solution for both individuals and society at large.

It has been said that we grew fat by eating the leftovers of World War II. The author reveals the truth of this cryptic remark and what it tells us about the origin of obesity in America. He does so by taking a close look at how the American diet evolved from colonial times to the present. Some of the topics might surprise you. For example, how do a French war hero and a Nobel Prize winning Nazi scientist fit into the story? What about hogs, hybrid corn, industrial nitrogen, farm tractors and electricity?

And what about so-called thrifty genes? The author argues that this concept, though rooted in truth, is deeply flawed. Contrary to comm.. (Read more) Despite millions spent each year on research and treatment, obesity in America keeps getting worse. But there is hope. Although the causes are seemingly complex, obesity is, at its core, a simple example of human ecology gone awry. This book explains how things went so bad so fast and offers a solution for both individuals and society at large.

It has been said that we grew fat by eating the leftovers of World War II. The author reveals the truth of this cryptic remark and what it tells us about the origin of obesity in America. He does so by taking a close look at how the American diet evolved from colonial times to the present. Some of the topics might surprise you. For example, how do a French war hero and a Nobel Prize winning Nazi scientist fit into the story? What about hogs, hybrid corn, industrial nitrogen, farm tractors and electricity?

And what about so-called thrifty genes? The author argues that this concept, though rooted in truth, is deeply flawed. Contrary to common belief, thrifty genes are not relegated to an unlucky few. Instead, they are the normal condition for most people on earth, with one striking exception. People of European descent are notably “unthrifty” compared to other ethnicities. The author explains how this difference came about, then poses an important question: Why should we care? Does it really matter in the modern world whether one has “thrifty” or “unthrifty” genes? The answer is no.

Why are more than thirty million house pets in America overweight or obese? This book provides the answers and shows why the same model of obesity applies both to humans and to domesticated animals.

A low fat versus low carbohydrate argument has been going on among American diet gurus for decades. But this is a pointless debate, a classic example of being “trapped inside a bad question.” We need to break out of this trap and ask totally different questions. This book tells you what they are.

The author is a PhD ecologist/agricultural scientist who retired as Director of the US Soil Survey in 2003. He then worked as a consultant to private industry for several years. In addition to experience in America, the author has conducted soil, ecological and agricultural studies in Zimbabwe, Ghana, South Africa, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Denmark and the Virgin Islands. Throughout his career, he observed the fragile ecological balance between humans and their food. This evolved into a fascination with human obesity, a striking and tragic example of what can happen when that balance is disrupted. This book is the result, and the story it tells is a transformative one, one that could even save your life.
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Tags

fat, history, food, obesity, agriculture, hogs, nitrogen, corn, hudson, metabolism, peasant, diet and lifestyle related diseases, obesity in america, berman, thrifty genes, obesity epidemic, huntergatherer, agricultural revolution

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