Good calories, bad calories: fats, carbs, and the controversial science of diet and health

Not another diet book: After seven years of research in every science connected with the impact of nutrition on health, science writer Taubes shows that almost everything we believe about a healthy diet is wrong. We are taught that fat is bad for us, carbohydrates better, and that the key to a healthy weight is eating less and exercising more--yet we see unprecedented epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Taubes argues persuasively that the problem lies in refined carbohydrates, via their dramatic effect on insulin, and that the key to good health is the kind of calories we take in, not the number. He also argues that there is no compelling scientific evidence that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease. Based on the evidence, he concludes that the only healthy way to remain lean is to eat fewer carbohydrates or to change the type of carbohydrates we eat.--From publisher description