Rating: 
Summary: I'm Sending It Back ....
Review: "The Fat Fallacy" has too much filler. Written in the gung-ho style more commonly found on supermarket checkout lines, the book gives some eminently practical advice you probably know already: take small bites, eat on smaller plates, swallow before you take another bite, walk after meals, eat better, eat less. Eating some fat will make you feel more satisfied. Don't eat junk food. Don't eat in the car, don't watch television while you eat. Avoid fat-free or low fat foods.A chunk of the book is devoted to debunking dietary habits advocated by many nutritionists, doctors and scientists. It should be said that there is disagreement within the scientific community and the book represents the author's particular point of view. For some people this will be interesting; I found it boring. Clower speaks of his mother's weight loss during her stay in France. Good for her. Diet has a significant impact on weight loss and the French generally are thinner than Americans, although that is changing. Other things that can affect weight loss include major life stressors, (such as moving to a foreign country, divorce, illness and loss of a job), exercise, not eating, and anxiety. I also found the testimonials annoying. People are only identified by first names, they don't mention whether or not they exercise, and some of them are overly fond of superlatives.
Add to that recipes for lasagna, pumpkin pie and other dishes that you can get practically anywhere, and you'll wonder why you bought the book at all. This book has a following, which is great. But if you're more of a sceptic, you may not enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Yes, there are Fat Europeans, too...
Review: ...and the French Chef Julia Child was no Vogue model. However, I like the concepts in this book, and I'm going to try them. I have been doing Atkins since the summer of 2003, my "summer of 42". I've lost 30 pounds. But, I missed my summer fruits, and I hate going to the store and seeing nothing but carbs I can't have! I've never been a bread eater. But occasionally, I do like to make my whole wheat biscuits for myself and my friends, and I like the idea that I can now eat them without guilt or having to figure out how many carbs they are! I hear what Mr. Clower is saying about the fake foods. However, as an Atkins follower, I've gotten so used to Splenda, I don't see myself weaning myself off of it anytime soon. I like to use it not only in my coffee, but in my lemonade and my, oops, unsweetened cherry Kool-Aid! I really needed to get my blood sugar down, and the Splenda has really helped me out in that regard. I'm keeping it for now. I really do want to try what Mr. Clower suggests in the book. A lot of it appeals to me: I'm a fish eater, despite the fact that they say there are too many PCBs in it to be safe to eat every day, I want to eat my fish EVERY DAY. I'm time-challenged, and fresh fish is the fastest thing you can cook, especially for breakfast. I also love chicken. I've been using skinless chicken thighs exclusively for years. I've gotten to where I hate chicken skin now, so I won't be going back to unskinned. I absolutely hate beef, and I'm sorry if it hurts the economy if I don't eat steak and bread, but it's not for me at all. So, the FF diet is right up my alley philosophically-speaking. I learned through Dr. Andrew Weil the health benefits of olive oil, and it has been years since I've had a hydrogenated oil product in my kitchen. I fry with extra virgin, I happen to like the taste it gives to even my biscuits. It's not the worst thing you can put in your food! Where I'm going to have problems is the dairy products. I'm African-American, and lactose-intolerant (I've read where for some reason this goes hand-in-hand), which wasn't a problem because Atkins tells you to pretty much stay away from them. However, it's 100 degrees here in Oklahoma, and I like the occasional ice cream, just enough to not send me to the bathroom in pain. I agree 100% with Mr. Clowers endorsement of Breyer's Ice Cream, but you have to be careful, because for some unfathomable reason Breyers has started putting unnatural ingredients in some of their ice cream brands. Stick with the Breyers' Ice Cream in the BLACK BOXES, and you'll be safe. Dr. Weil advises against margarine, too. I've used nothing but butter for years. I hate that you can't even find simple butter cookies in the stores anymore. And I love the idea of a bite of dark chocolate for dessert. And eating it the way my best friend taught me: get a Hershey Special Dark with Almond nugget and just slowly suck the chocolate away until you get to the nut...then crunch! Now THAT takes patience! Eating in courses is tres impractical for me, a single person! But I can certainly learn to put the fork down and chew and take my time to eat. I wish they'd give me time to do that for lunch, though, at work!
Losing the grazing habit will be hard. Atkins encourages snacking somewhat, as long as you fall within a prescribed limit of carbs per day. I'm going to have to reeducate my body to a new way of thinking about food. Oddly enough, water isn't discussed at all in the book...it is critical in the Atkins/South Beach diet because of the ketone buildup, but I drink three 24 oz. sportspack of room-temperature spring water per day. However, I LOOOOVE coffee, and love to finish my day off with a nice, STRONG cup of it that I've pressed with my small French press which makes just enough for one cup. In short, I think I'll like this approach because it correlates with a lifestyle I'd been leading anyway yet had been failing to lose weight at. I'd like to combine what's in this book with the New American Plate concept the cancer organizations are touting these days: one part protein, two parts vegetable product, kind of like "the Zone", even for breakfast. I've always hated low fat products, it seems obscenely unnatural, and you know what, my grandmother lived to be 92, butchered her own hogs and chickens, milked her own cow, grew her own vegetables, baked her own bread, and was thin as a rail. How do you argue with that? The older generation knew how to eat healthy, it is we youngsters who have strayed, and who are paying now with all these cancers and weight problems.
Rating: 
Summary: Does it work? Yes, yes, yes!
Review: After reading several conflicting books on how to lose weight, this book was a breath of fresh air to me. Instead of debating scientific theories regarding weight loss, the author relies on his experiences in France as an example of how humans ought to consume food. Unlike other texts that explore the scientific physiology of the human body and the molecular breakdown of food ad nauseum, the Fat Fallacy is an eating plan (notice I didn't say "diet") that is beautiful in its simplicity: 1. All real food is good. Our bodies were designed to process food, not synthetic chemicals.
2. Eschew "faux" (fake) food, including all soft drinks, diet products, junk food, etc.
3. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly so that you can eat until you are satisfied, not full.
4. Focus on quality, not quantity in your food making decisions.
5. Enjoy your food! Forget about counting calories, fat grams, and carb grams. Forget about charts and journals. Forget about supplements, patches, surgeries, laxatives, herbal remedies, blood type diets, commercial programs, combining certain foods at meal time, eating fruit on an empty stocmach, avoiding starch entirely, etc. Maybe the best advice that I garnered from Dr. Clower's book was to develop a healthy relationship with my food; that was something that was missing from the other diet books I read. It was amazing to me how comfortable I felt consuming much less food than before because I was focusing on quality. When I began, I was 6' tall (male), 210 lbs, 48 years old. Two months later, I am 22 lbs. lighter and am starting to see muscles show definition on my abdomen. The eating plan espoused by Dr. Clower is not laden with restrictions. The plan allows for occassional desserts (I eat Haagen Dazs ice cream twice per week), as well as a small piece of dark chocolate once per day. Combine the eating plan with regular exercise, e.g. walking, and you've got a winning strategy against your weight problems. The most exciting thing about this way of eating is that it is highly sustainable because it is so practical and comfortable. The plan is not at all about denial but about eating real food and being happy. Get the book. Follow its precepts. You will get results.
Rating:
Summary: a reader
Review: After the first thirty pages of this book, I was very tempted to toss it into the fireplace. However, given my curiosity of why anyone would give this 5 stars encouraged me to slog on. The first 100 pages have all the charm of an "informercial". There is a lot of irrelevant diversions as well as an attempt to shock the reader (e.g. the descriptions of Olestra and stomach stapling). The only thing I could think of was this had never had a serious editing. I was also offended by the lack of serious substantiation of his claims. Quick, out of context, name dropping seems to be the style here. Single studies are mentioned, however in the world of nutrition, a single study cannot stand on its own. They need to be substantiated with other studies. He also claims that this diet that gives longevity is the result of a long developmnet time. Who is he kidding? It is only in the last century or so that sanitation and medical care has improved to the point that diet is an issue. We know that humans are adaptable to many diets, however until recent times none of them were concerned about heart disease. Given he likes to tout his Ph.D. on the cover, the author should be doing a better job of substantiation. Testimonials by readers proves nothing. He is clearly out of his area of expertise. The recipe section at the end is substandard. Most are largely "throw some stuff" together. Given that person who might benefit from this is probably not well experienced in the kitchen, leaving amounts up to their imagination is a recipe for failure. While he might enjoy giving the banana bread away at Christmas, that recipe from my junior high home ec class needs to be updated. Given the railing he gives to hydrogenated fats, the shortening should be replaced with butter or vegetable oil. This was not well thought out. I do give 2 stars for encouraging overeaters a method for controlling their consumption. However, if this book were well edited and the font reduced down to a normal print, all that would be left is a large magazine article. I discourage the use of this book due to its inherent lack of useful information. You won't find enlightenment on the French Paradox here, only a personal interpretation of the food the author encountered in France. For someone seriously interested in nutrition, try Walter Willett's "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy".
Rating:
Summary: This book is incredible!
Review: As a continuous Amazon customer, after reading this wonderful book, this is the first time I have felt absolutely compelled to write a review. If 10 stars were possible, this book deserves it.
Will Clower's book really wakes you up to the way most typical Americans eat, and view meals. I have been on and off weight watchers for years, struggling incessantly, and this book really woke me up. I have spent years of my life, eating fat free food products that are loaded with chemicals, some of them sounding inedible after reading Clower's book. These chemical ladden foods, which were supposed to assist in my weight loss, caused me to eat tremendous amounts of food, and constantly crave sugar. Nothing was ever sweet enough. I also ate this "food" with a constant feeling of guilt, thinking everything would make me fat, and then when I would blow it I would go on a binge.
I have been eating with the suggestions of the book for 5 days now. I can't tell you that I have ever loved food more. My cravings for sweets have disappeared. This has never happened to me, and I just can't bring myself to eat the chemical ladden food I once did. Clower really woke me up! Thank you!
Rating:
Summary: Will Clower's The Fat Fallacy
Review: As much as the author seems to repeat the same message again and again through the first 80% of the book, I still think the message is a powerful one. It is definitely a wonder why Americans wouldn't look to other countries that have no problem with obesity for answers. This book finally got through to me. It's amazing how easy it is to be content and not need a lot of food when you're surrounding yourself in luxury. It would be hard to read this book and not feel a tad silly about American constructs of weight and how to control it.
The book reminded me of when my mom pulled me aside for the hundreth time and told me not to run with scissors. Finally, it sunk in.
I'm a hard-core candy and sweet-lover, yet there's something mysterious about how I've lost interest in it. It's almost like reinventing yourself and the way you view food. And I believe that's the author's entire point.
Very good book in its ability to motivate and get through to you...
Rating:
Summary: Thank God! A common sense approach to healthy living . . .
Review: For years I've deprived myself real food and have built a daily diet around low-fat frozen entrees, pre-packaged cold cuts, sliced bread, low-fat "cheese" singles, fat-free milk, etc., not because I have a weight problem, but because I was afraid if I ate good-tasting food (formerly thought of as "bad" food), I would develop a weight problem. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Will Clower presents a common sense, gimmick-free approach to healthy eating and encourages, yes, that's right, encourages whole milk, full-fat cheeses, nuts, butter, and other foods our society has erroneously branded as "unhealthy." This book has changed the way I look at food. I've been savoring my meals rather than merely enduring them. This book has also opened my eyes to how many so-called "health foods" are loaded with preservatives, chemicals, and various sugars. Read your labels, folks - you'll be surprised by all the junk you see on the ingredients lists. Thank you, Dr. Clower!
Rating: 
Summary: I still have some questions
Review: Having traveled the world (quite a bit), I tend to have reservations about books such as these because they take some theory and try to explain it through rehashed information - Did Clower actually live in France, or did he just visit for a few weeks, or is his information from the mainstream press? There's a huge difference between reading 3rd hand reports from lazy journalists, and actually exploring the scene for yourself. Case in point - I worked teaching English in Japan for 8 years, and never met so many unmotivated, lazy, disrespectful, rude, good for nothing students. However, when I got back to the US, I was told how lucky I must have been to be teaching in a country where the population is so disciplined. This is because lazy journalists around the world kept rehashing the "hard working Japanese student" myth, which was basically concocted by the Japanese government as PR. Not one of them ever had MY job. This caused me a great deal of frustration at a time when I was going through reverse culture shock. No one would listen to me - I who had actually "been there and done that". Of course, US citizens get the best information about other countries from their national media, so what the hell should I know about anything? (UH-HUH!? or should I say DUH!) My experience vis a vis journalists stationed overseas is they spend a lot of time in the Foreign Correspondents' Club drinking, and the main focus of any research they do is on the local T&A scene. In fact, the best piece of research by a foreign based journalist in Japan was the Tokyo Pink Guide - a laundry list of sexual services available in Japan which details where they can be found. I've been to Europe about a dozen or more times on lengthy (6 week) trips - what I did notice were smaller portions (throughout Europe, for that matter) but also smaller people. Europeans are on the average smaller than Americans. Does it make sense, then, for a larger person to eat like a smaller person, if what you are trying to do is to fuel (not overfuel) your body? Next point - Europeans are basically tighter than a drum. They do not overspend on anything - this includes food. In other words, they're cheap. I think enough of them remember the food shortages during WWII that this cheapness been forged into the national conciousness. A friend of mine from Bulgaria once lived in France in the 80's and went looking for tampons - could not find them - was told that French women never use them, because they diet so much that they start missing their periods. Hello? French women dieting? Never heard that before, but, I guess you had to have been there. The US got off the track in the 70's first with Pritikin and then with a deluge of spinoff low fat or no fat diets. That's when we all started to bust out of our tight jeans. Yes, I agree - food should not be adulterated with chemicals that only a scientist could pronounce, we need to get away from factory farming, and fat is not that bad for you. But I doubt if your average French person eats more than a small sliver of that brie (gotta make it last the week, you know - you never know when the Nazis might invade again and cut off the supply). The book basically espouses common sense - but still is not the absolute authority on the WHY's of thinner people in other countries. What we should be doing is studying the Russians. Skinny in youth (for a short time) fat later on - they must be making the same mistakes we are - however, they don't have the added evil of over processed food. In the UK and Australia, obesity was becoming more and more common because people were switching to low fat dieting - in 1998, when I was in Bangkok, I met an Australian on business there to get plus sized clothes manufactured for the Australian market - she said since they didn't have a lot of plus sized clothing companies there, she'd probably get rich by being the first to cater to the obesity trend. Personally, I'd rather do the Chinese diet - now the Chinese eat like there's no tommorrow, the standard greeting in China is "Ni hao!" (Have you eaten yet?) and yet they are some of the thinnest people on the planet. One reason - they don't have a sweet tooth, they eat a high protein diet, which is also low glycemic, and high fat (have you ever noticed the fat content of ramen?). And they eat, and eat, and eat, and never seem to get obese. Furthermore, my experience with Asian sweets (commercially made cookies, candy, cake, etc.) is that they are not very sweet. Buy a bag of cookies made in Japan, and you will have to eat 6 or 7 of them to get the same sugar rush you'll get out of a single US made Oreo. Someone should really do a study on the sumo wrestler's diet - and contrast that with the average Japanese diet. Sumos in training eat a lot of carbs (rice) to put on weight, which gives some credence to Atkins. Personally, I'd rather eat like the Chinese than pick, pick, pick over my food for 2 hours like the French.
Rating:
Summary: This book made me 50 pounds heavier, in seconds!!!!!!
Review: Heavy always been too skinny (weighing only 200 pounds when i was 5 for goodness sake) I have always wanted to be heavier and when my doctor informed me when I was 34 that i was only 649 pounds I began to panic. So I began looking for ways to increase my weight so I would not die of starvation. Then I came to this wonderful, exciteing, inligting, delicous, arrogant, digitalized, fun, miffing, heliocentric, claustraphobix, and tripod like book. Upon opening this book I gained minisquile 50 pounds. But after reading it I learned strageys to gain weight and now im proudly 1,157 pounds.
Rating:
Summary: The only way I've ever lost weight without drugs or hunger!
Review: I first heard of the "French Diet" in Allure magazine in July 2002. Shortly thereafter, the New York Times published "What if it's all been a big fat lie?" I looked into Atkins and bought this book. I decided I could not be happy without bread and potatoes, so the French Diet won (it helped that I'm a bit of a Francophile). It was a tremendous leap of faith, but in a matter of weeks, I began losing weight AND feeling less hungry. I have now effortlessly lost 30 pounds in 4 months, without ever feeling deprived. And I haven't even followed it to the letter--just cut out all partially hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, and most preservatives. Fast food and snack foods that I used to crave are now distasteful compared to the real thing. I can't say enough good things about this book and Dr. Clower for writing it. DISCLOSURE: I do walk 30 minutes on a treadmill at least 4 times a week; I don't know how it would work with no exercise program.
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