The Fat Fallacy

Applying the French Diet to the American Lifestyle

REVIEWS 

I love food again, August 14, 2002 
Reviewer: A reader from Evanston, IL United States 

I'm so happy that others are as enthusiastic about this book as I am. It deserves to be talked about and shared. I haven't been this happy with my meals in years! Why aren't more talk shows and diet magazines touting this diet, I wonder? Could it be that all the people who make those tasteless, processed, diet foods are a bit uneasy with these findings?

This book makes so much sense. I've been telling all my friends about it. I've lost five pounds in a month. But more importantly, I've been incredibly happy and satisfied with my meals. 

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If you're sick of dieting and ready to give up... read this!, August 12, 2002 
Reviewer: A reader from The Road to Wellville 

If you're like me, you've tried every diet on earth and nothing has worked, or not worked permanently. And you came away angry, depressed and probably heavier than before. This book opened my eyes as to how messed up and backward the American approach to eating (snacking all day, eating in cars, eating in front of the TV, treating mealtimes like an inconvenience to hurry through) is, and that all these diets are scams. I've only been eating the way the book describes for a week, and already I FEEL GOOD. I never feel hungry or on some stupid regimen (because I'm not!) or depriving myself of eating good, satisfying food-- I am eating better than I did before! And I'm about 2 pounds down already.

And here's better news: when you've eaten good quality food, you don't want the junk food anymore. No, really. After three days of eating good cheeses, I tried to eat the generic shredded cheddar cheese that I loved... and UGH! It tasted salty and bland. Like a dog's chewy rubber toy. I threw it out. I'll take bread and cheese over nacho chips any day!

I even eat squares of dark chocolate now (mmmm), and I used to be a die hard milk chocolate type. And whole milk, yum.

The moderation thing has not been as hard as I thought. And I used to eat 3-4 slices of pizza in one sitting! Without all the chemicals and junk in my body, my mind is so much clearer and I have much more energy. 

Oh, and do you hate to exercise? Me too! Clower does not tell you to run 10 miles a day or do a workout of any kind (unless you want to). All he recommends is that you walk. As in, park a bit further away instead of fighting for the parking space closest to the door. Just get out of the house every once in a while, or take a short walk after dinner. I can't stand to sweat or even be in the sun-- I've always hated Phys Ed. classes and sports-- and even I can handle this.

If you're at the end of your dieting rope, get this book. 

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A MUST Read For A Better Way To Eat !, May 29, 2002 
Reviewer: Roberta from Florida 

I loved this book. I liked the way it was written, and the common sense approach to diet. Dr. Clower has done a great job of presenting facts, along with real life application. I especially like the fact that low fat/no fat/imitation food has been exposed for what it is: deception. 

It is time that we not deceive our bodies, nor our minds with dietary fads that do not produce the results that they claim. Dr. Clowers' recommendations in his book,The Fat Fallacy, REALLY work! I am so pleased with what I now know, because of his information. Thank you, Dr. Clower! 

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Bon appetit!! Revisited....., May 22, 2002 
Reviewer: Dale Stuckey from Baton Rouge, LA 

To read "Fat Fallacy" is to visit with the essence of Will Clower! I use his recipes often and the information more! I count him as a friend!! Read the book and you will understand why I can say that! I commend the premise of the book and the man behind that premise. I just re-read my review! I must have been out of my mind! I was certain I put 5 stars!!! I would have voted 10 if that had been a choice! If you haven't tried Will's Mashed Potatoes..you don't understand! Salmon...lasagna...the list grows! Try this wonderfully simple way to be healthy! "If it's not food, don't eat it!" 

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Freedom from Frustrating Diets, May 7, 2002 
Reviewer: A reader from Costa Mesa, CA United States 

I saw Dr. Clower on TV and was intrigued by his premise that our low-fat and chemical-filled culture is partly responsible for our national obesity problem. What he wrote resonated with what I know intuitively: Low fat diets don't work, and fake foods are bad for you. Clower says to eat wholesome, real foods WITH the fat and you'll feel more satisfied and eat less overall. This was an epiphany for me. 

After reading the book in one day, I tried another one of his suggestions: Taking small bites. At first it was like trying to hold back a team of wild horses, but over time I came to enjoy the slow pace and the savor the meal. Plus, I was eating delicious, fatty foods, so it wasn't that difficult. I haven't overeaten since. It's been said before, but something about Dr. Clower's gentle, enthusiastic style and the supporting scientific evidence he cites got through to me. 

I had told myself I was giving up dieting, but I was still making a mental checklist of what I "shouldn't" eat, which is still a diet! No more. After reading this book I feel more optimistic about weight loss and more pleasure at mealtime than I ever have before. What a magic book! 

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A common sense approach to eating, November 30, 2001 
Reviewer: A reader from North Carolina, USA 

I love the principle of this book - to eat real foods. This book came at a good time in my life - my doctor suggested that I try to cut down on chemical based foodstuffs. This book makes so much sense - eat moderate amounts of real foods, and take the time to make eating an event, and enjoy every mouthful. I have lost 6 pounds in the last three weeks eating the "French" way. I highly recommend it. An added bonus - back to family meals! A great way to keep up with my teenagers' lives! 

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Using Common Sense in Eating, November 30, 2001 
Reviewer: A reader from New York 

Will Clower has taken an extremely common sense look at why Americans continue to gain weight, while other cultures have no such problems. The book is easy to read, funny, and engaging. It includes many examples, some easy-to-understand science behind the recommendations it makes, and a series of recepies in the back, to serve as examples.

Why is America - and more specifically, you and I - fat? We spend zillions on diet books, exercise programs, special foods, and still we are statistically more obese, have a shorter life expectancy, and suffer more debilitating health problems from our diet than the French. Yet the French eat what they want, when they want, are terrible about smoking and exercise, and do not give weight a thought. Is life just not fair?

Well, not really, according to the book. Our weight problem, and their lack of such, has to do with cuisine and eating habits; what we eat that they do not (and vice-versa), and how we go about eating it. Dr. Clower identifies and expands on how these result in a lack of success for the American diet, and the tried and true results of the French one. This is not to suggest that everyone start eating veal cordon bleu and singing "Marsaille", but that the habits that work for the French (and coincidentally, many Americans while they are visiting there) could work for us here, if we identify the lessons of the French diet and apply them.

What those lessons are fill the bulk of the book, and they are worth discovering for yourself. As you do, you will find yourself repeatedly smacking your head and saying, "Of course!" A favorite section for my family was the "Faux Food" pages, as we tried to guess what type of junk food was listed by its ingredients. I have literally not touched some of my old favorites since finding them listed there.

A big point in the book's favor is that the plan is not presented as the fervent and unbending requirements of a converted disciple. If you can't eat one meal according to the suggested pattern, don't panic! Eat the right way the next time. Clower points out that with his plan, you cannot fall off the wagon, as there is no wagon to fall off of. That is because the French diet is not a fad plan with points, counters or weigh-ins, but a rational approach to including food in your life.

In the author's words, readers should "develop a healthy relationship with their food." I totally agree. The "Fat Fallacy" opens a door to the lessons on food we have always known, but forgot. Don't pick up another book telling you what you should not eat. Get this one to remind yourself why good food is an essential part of the good life. 

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Stay slim with wine, bread and full fat milk!, October 3, 2001 
Reviewer: Lee Mellott (see more about me) from Frederick, Maryland USA 

It seems so astonishing when you think about it. Here in America we are chasing the way to stay slim. One minute we are told it is low fat, the next its no sugar. There are folks who espouse counting carbs, others proteins. The list goes on. While we are fighting the fat wars and getting fatter, the French go about their merry way oblivious to calories. Saying NON to lowfat milk and cheese products, drinking wine etc. When do we wake up and smell the french roasted coffee? THE FRENCH ARE SLIM as a culture and AMERICANS ARE FAT as a culture. And the Frenchmen and women outlive American men and women. THEY MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT! Why not do what they do?

And that is what Clower's book is all about. He walks you step by step into the changes you need to make to embrace the French lifestyle diet. You will learn to eat for pleasure, savoring each bite. No longer do you eat tasteless low fat, it's full fat cheeses and cream. Wine with your meal if desired. Bread and plenty of it.

The secret is of course moderation and eating REAL food. Did you ever read the ingredients list on light butter. I did for the first time the other day. I couldn't understand half the ingredients in it! And neither can your body understand these synthetic ingredients! Feed your body real butter. But just a little bit because that is all it takes. You won't need to stuff yourself with a ton of food, because eating real food will be satisfying and you will learn how to eat for pleasure. Not gulping it down or supersizing. Eating a small amount in a relaxed environment and enjoying it!

With Clower's book you will rediscover the joy of food and your slim, healthy self! 

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Clower contends that diet keeps the French lithe & healthy, August 8, 2001 
Reviewer: Midwest Book Review (see more about me) from Oregon, WI USA 

William Clower is a neurophysiologist and neuroscience historian at the University of Pittsburgh. In The Fat Fallacy: Applying The French Diet To The American Lifestyle, Clower explains that there is an epidemic of obesity in the American populace today. By contrast, the French (whose meals are typically accompanied by creams, cheeses, and baguettes) are a nation of typically thin people (with only an 8% obesity rate) who not only live longer than Americans, but lack our chronic heart problems. It's Clower's contention that the diet that keeps the French lithe and healthy can work for Americans as well. The Fat Fallacy is strongly recommended reading for anyone struggling with the health problems that arise from a chronic condition of excess weight.

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