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  • Nature Wants Us to Be Fat

  • The Surprising Science Behind Why We Gain Weight and How We Can Prevent - and Reverse - It
  • By: Richard J. Johnson MD
  • Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
  • Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (40 ratings)

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Nature Wants Us to Be Fat

By: Richard J. Johnson MD
Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
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Publisher's Summary

Nature puts a “survival switch” in our bodies to protect us from starvation. Stuck in the “on” position, it’s the hidden source of weight gain, heart disease, and many other common health struggles. But you can turn it off.

Dr. Richard Johnson has been on the cutting edge of research into the cause of obesity for more than a decade. His team’s discovery of the fructose-powered survival switch - a metabolic pathway that animals in nature turn on and off as needed, but that our modern diet has permanently fixed in the “on” position, where it becomes a fat switch - revolutionized the way we think about why we gain weight. 

In Nature Wants Us to Be Fat, he details the mounting evidence on how this switch is responsible both for excess fat storage and for many of the major diseases endemic to the Western world, including heart disease, cancer, and dementia. Dr. Johnson also reveals the surprising link between the survival switch and health conditions such as gout, kidney disease, liver disease, stroke - and even behavioral issues like addiction and ADHD. And, most important, he shares a science-based plan to help listeners fight back against nature.

Guided by ongoing clinical research - plus fascinating observations from the animal kingdom, evolution, and history - Dr. Johnson takes you along on an eye-opening investigation into: 

  • What you can do to turn off your survival switch
  • What we have in common with hibernating bears, sperm whales, and the world’s fattest bird
  • Why it’s fructose (not glucose) that drives insulin resistance and metabolic disease
  • The foods we eat that trigger the body to make its own fructose
  • The surprising role salt and dehydration play in fat accumulation

Dr. Johnson not only provides new recommendations for how we can prevent or treat obesity, but also how we can use this information to reduce our risk of developing disease. Nature wants us to be fat, and when we understand why, we gain the tools we need to lose weight and optimize our health. 

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Richard Johnson (P)2022 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Nature Wants Us to Be Fat

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Understand how you can reduce your weight and keep it off

This book is fantastic. It goes into great detail of all the reasons why our body wants to put on fat and what stimulates it to do this. There are lots of practical tips to help us know what to eat and not to eat, which types of exercise to do and why you need to stay hydrated.

I absolutely loved the book and would recommend it to anyone serious about understanding weight gain and loss from a physiological perspective or who just wants to lose weight and keep it off.

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well researched and wonderful insight

well researched and wonderful insight by the author. highly recommend this book for anyone interested to listen to this practical and great book.

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Groundbreaking

This book contains groundbreaking new research and theory, from the source. Book is well put together and intriguing listening and applies insight from the new knowledge into what we can do to keep healthy.

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4 people found this helpful

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This book changed my life, its just so spot on

This is one of the best books I have ever listened to, The information is captivating, addictive and eye-opening. I find myself constantly rewinding sections to hear it again and make sure I heard it correct the first time. This is my daily commute go-to, forget listening to the radio, music or negative world news - do yourself a favour and get smarter by understanding why we get fat and how we take control back of our own outcomes through education. I have not even finished this book and I was keen to share my thoughts on how it makes me feel and the changes I have adopted in my own lifestyle - I am dreading the thought of the audiobook coming to the end as it inspires me and is motivating a better me and I just don't know if any other books as good as this exist. Ultimately I will probably re-listen to the whole book from the beginning again to ensure I fully absorb the learnings it's teaching me. Thank you to the writer (and reader) who keep me wanting more and for the years of collaborative research, it would have taken to bring this book together.

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8 people found this helpful

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Worthwhile

This book contains many insights derived from data by distinguished modern day dietary specialist.
unfortunately he didn't add the magic of he himself narrating it. no doubt he's far too busy for that.
it is full of insights and is really a book about understanding Metabolic disease and how you can reverse it.

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3 people found this helpful

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understand the nutrition of health and disease

The best summary I have heard of what we know about nutrition for health from both the animal and human world. simple to understand advice and summary on ways to loose weight and stay healthy and why they work. extend your healthspan.

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LCHF fan

Some really interesting information and perspectives in here but sometimes themes were either poorly explained or too thoroughly explained. Leaving you wonder if he read his own work before he published it. Still, worth listening to if you’re interested in LCHF eating or any of its low carb equivalents!

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2 people found this helpful

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Brilliant!

Reiterated everything I thought I knew about dieting and gave me so much more. Life changer! 👏👏👏

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1 person found this helpful

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