Page 66 - Fall2013

All Thumbs Book Reviews

Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics Marion Nestle is the author of several books
By Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim about food; the best known is Food Politics. She
University of California Press, 2012 is also a professor in the Department of Nutri-
tion at New York University. Malden Nesheim
“People vary, diets vary, activity levels is former Director of Nutritional Sciences at
vary,” but calories don’t vary, say the authors, Cornell University. They previously wrote a book
Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim, who are two together on feeding pets.
“old schoolers” who cling tenaciously to the out- A calorie is a measure of heat: the amount of
dated and worn ideology of Frederick ("a calorie energy that raises one gram of water one degree
is a calorie") Stare and Ancel (lipid hypothesis) Celsius. The science of calories began basically
Keys. They believe that “the only way to weight as the work of one man employed by the USDA.
loss is through lower calorie intake based on Wilbur O. Atwater used his values obtained from
foods of high nutritional and low caloric density.” burning food to predict the number of calories
(Do such foods exist?) Their advice to eat less, in people ate. For at least 120 years, his paradigm
smaller portions, exercise more, and thoroughly remains unchallenged as the basis for weight
chew each mouthful has been less than helpful to control. Carbohydrates and protein contain four
the majority of people who struggle with weight calories per gram; fat contains nine calories;
problems. Years of obsessively counting calories and alcohol, seven calories per gram. Carbo-
have failed the American people. Obesity has hydrates and protein are obviously not equal
increased nationwide, and the average American biochemically as each has a specific job and are
is now twenty pounds heavier than twenty years considerably different from one another. But in
ago. As a nation we are eating less fat while the eyes of the authors they are indeed the same,
obesity statistics continue to soar. at four calories per gram. And fat is condemned
Although Americans continue to worship because of its high calorie content in comparison
Although at the diet altar of low-calorie, less quantity, to protein and carbohydrates.
Americans and especially less saturated fat, they are more On the basis of the calorie, an entire food in-
overweight and obese than ever before. Despite dustry was built and continues to thrive because
continue to this fact, the authors cling to the notion that a the public, with total faith in the calorie concept,
worship at the lowfat diet based on calorie counting has been continues to buy it.
Gary Taubes makes the argument in his
diet altar of a successful strategy and continues to be, since books Good Calories, Bad Calories and Why We
Frederick Stare, founder of the nutrition depart-
low-calorie, ment of Harvard’s School of Public Health, Get Fat that obesity is caused “by the quality of
less quantity, coined the phrase, “A calorie is a calorie.” He the calories rather than the quantity, and specifi-
and especially also said, “Drink a cup of corn oil every day,” cally by the effect of refined and easily digestible
but that isn’t exactly smart either. No matter how carbohydrates on the hormonal regulation of fat
less saturated you phrase it, however, a celery stalk or carrot storage and metabolism.” Nestle and Nesheim
fat, they are stick cannot hold a flame next to a nicely prepared devote about three-fourths of a page to Taubes’

more pasture-raised fatty beefsteak. books, and dismiss what they call his “reduction-

The authors contend that the purpose of ist view” because he emphasizes carbohydrates
overweight their book is to give us a greater appreciation of as “the primary driver behind weight gain.”
and obese calories because people are confused about them, They blame obesity, however, on increased
than ever and calories are poorly understood. Thus if you food production, which makes more calories
can understand calories, you can enjoy your food available, and low food prices, which enable
before. and “eat without having to think about it.” people to afford to eat more. Does that descrip-
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