Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Gene Eating: The Story of Human Appetite

Rate this book
'It is rare to find a book, written by a world-class scientist, that is both informative and entertaining. Giles not only delves into the science of obesity but, with honesty and great precision, skewers many of the more foolish fad diets out there. ' DR MICHAEL MOSLEY, bestselling author of The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet

'A hard-to-fault book written in a way that entertains as well as it informs ... Yeo's study of human appetite is packed with insights and revelations, incorporating up-to-date scientific thinking ... It's an anti-diet diet book you can trust' DAILY EXPRESS

'I really enjoy working with Giles - he makes so much sense, and cuts through the confusion about diet and health with refreshing directness. His excellent book Gene Eating busts myths and homes in on what you really need need to know. It's been a genuine help to me and I'm sure it will be to everyone who reads it.' HUGH FEARNLEY-WHITTINGSTALL

'Dr Yeo is a leading scientist in the field of obesity and one of our best science communicators. Everyone worried about their weight ought to read this book to digest its message about the importance of genetics.' ROBERT PLOMIN, author of How DNA Makes Us Who We Are

'An excellent and engaging book, but also an important one. It is about time that a serious, respected academic provided a voice of reason' Anthony Warner aka THE ANGRY CHEF

'Gene Eating is just a fantastic book exactly as you'd expect - but more so. Mainly it's very funny, packed with science and trivia and genuinely helpful weightloss and nutrition info' DR CHRIS VAN TULLEKEN, the BBC

Why are we all getting fatter?
Why are some people hungrier than others?
And why don't diets work?

In an age of misinformation and pseudo-science, the world is getting fatter and the diet makers are getting richer. So how do we break this cycle that's killing us all?

Drawing on the very latest science and his own genetic research at Cambridge University, Dr Giles Yeo has written the seminal 'anti-diet' diet book. Exploring the history of our food, debunking marketing nonsense and toxic diet advice, and confronting the advocates of 'clean eating', Dr Giles translates his pioneering
research into an engaging, must-read study of the human appetite.

Inspiring and revelatory, Gene Eating is an urgent and essential book that will empower us all with the facts we need to establish healthy relationships with food - and change the way we eat

Paperback

Published November 12, 2020

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

Giles Yeo

7 books39 followers
Giles Yeo MBE is a Principal Research Associate at MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit and a Scientific Director of the Genomics/Transcriptomics Core at the University of Cambridge.

He was born in London and lived in Singapore, San Francisco, United States, and since 1994 has been based in Cambridge, United Kingdom. In 1994 he graduated from University of California, Berkeley (Molecular and Cell Biology) and in 1997 he completed a PhD study at University of Cambridge (Molecular genetics). His focus is on the study of obesity, brain control of body weight and genetic influences on appetitive behaviour. He has presented three BBC Horizon documentaries: Why are we getting so fat (2016), Clean Eating: The Dirty Truth (2017) and Vitamin Pills: Miracle or Myth? (2018). Giles was also a presenter on BBC Two's Trust Me, I'm A Doctor. His first book, 'Gene Eating: The Story Of Human Appetite' was published in Dec 2018. His second book, 'Why Calories Don't Count' was published in June 2021.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
23 (62%)
4 stars
11 (29%)
3 stars
3 (8%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for Alex.
102 reviews6 followers
December 5, 2022
Geat Research presented in a straitforward and accessible manner
I stumbled across this book shortly after reading Josh Wolrich's Food isn't Medicine and while I enjoyed Wolrich's writing and message (who wouldn't when you are absolved from all cardinal eating sins right?), I felt that some explanantions could be a little deeper. Don't get me wrong I am no scientist and have been known to fall asleep straight after reading an abstract of a clinical paper but I like knowing that little bit more than a complete novice and this book really hits the spot. It is evidence based but easy to understand and covers a wide range of misconceptions around food, health, and weightgain facctors. Giles Yeo is not only knowlegeable but also has a down to earth writing voice. He speaks with athority but has none of condescension. It's been a pleasure and a great learning to read.
Profile Image for Heather.
188 reviews
April 14, 2023
I heard Giles Yeo speaking on Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast and immediately decided to buy his books.

I liked the information in this book and there’s some great key takeaways. The problem for me is that it was too “sciency”. The topic is fascinating and the myth busting was really useful. At times it felt as though the author was on a bit of a rant against those whose diets he thought were ridiculous, and although I agreed with his points sometimes I was left skim reading and wondering where he was going.

All in all some great takeaways but listening to him speaking about the subject is easier than reading about it!
80 reviews1 follower
August 15, 2021
An excellent read, so well written with some humorous anecdotes. Really brings into clear thought the need for eating in moderation and variation.
Explains a lot about genes and their influence on the way we store/use our fat cells, how we exercise and our potential food likes and dislikes. Anyone interested in diets, genetics, nutrition and how they all work together should read this book.
56 reviews
February 4, 2022
I usually don’t give non fiction book 5 stars but damn I am recommending this book to everyone who is nutrition curious because his writing is so accessible
Profile Image for Cara.
2 reviews
May 25, 2023
Easy to follow, fact based information.

Great starter book for understanding nutrition coming from a non-science background!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.