Anybody read Rethinking Thin?

Has anybody read the book Rethinking Thin by Gina Kolata? It looks at all these scientific studies on weight loss and pretty much comes to the conclusion that all weight loss efforts are useless. People can lose about 10 % of their original starting weight but then they should expect to gain back whatever else they lost.  

It is a prettty sobering look at weight loss.  She cites all sorts of studies in the past 20 years that have been done that really show the futility of low- carb, low fat blah blah blah diets....  

The author and the researches say that in our day and age people who are thin have developed a sense of moral superiority because they are thin and they attribute this to their lifestyle and diet and they belittle the fat person because they can't lose weight.  Now I don't believe genetics is to blame for the current obesity problem in America but I do think this is an interesting read.  Anybody read it?

I haven't read it but it does sound rather defeatist if the conclusion is that 'all weight-loss efforts are useless'.    

There's an interesting and potentially more positive study going on with people who have successfully lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off long-term.  The 'National Weight Control Registry'... is tracking over 5000 individuals to see why they have succeeded and what we can learn from them.  No-one will be surprised to hear that it is not solely about modifying food intake...

"There is variety in how NWCR members keep the weight off. Most report continuing to maintain a low calorie, low fat diet and doing high levels of activity.

•  
  •  78% eat breakfast every day.
  • 75% weigh them self at least once a week.
  • 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
  • 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day. "

NO, I have not read it.  After your review, I don't plan on it either.  I might as well throw up my hands in disgust and say 'what's the use, or why bother', since this author has predetermined my life for me. 

Well let me restate.... I don't know if the book says that weight loss is useless but rather that being "healthy" at whatever weight is more the goal...  They also looked at various school studies where one school provided exercise time, healthy snacks and meals, education, parent partnerships and everything to educate the students and families.  In the end the school with all the extras did end up being more educated but their obesity rate was the same as the control school.  What does that mean?  

For me it just reitterated how difficult losing weight can be.  It is an interesting read if you enjoy the science of weight loss.  

You can educate until you're blue in the face but taking 'information' and turning it into 'application' is a fairly universal human failing.   Knowing something and doing it are quite different.    There can't be a person on the planet today that doesn't know smoking is a dangerous activity.... and yet people still take it up.  Apathy plus indifference is a wicked combo.  'I knew it was killing me but I never got around to changing'  will be on a lot of gravestones.

But if you do get around to it, a healthy lifestyle isn't really all that tough.