Burn: How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy

One of the foremost researchers in human metabolism, Herman Pontzer, has unveiled surprising new science behind food and exercise in his paradigm-shifting book. Contrary to popular belief, Pontzer's groundbreaking studies with hunter-gatherer tribes reveal that exercise does not increase our metabolism. Instead, humans burn calories within a remarkably narrow range of nearly 3,000 calories per day, regardless of activity level. This was an ingenious evolutionary strategy to survive in times of famine, but now seems to contribute to the obesity epidemic.

The good news is that we can lose weight, but Pontzer dispels the hype around various diets, emphasizing that for shedding pounds, a calorie is a calorie. At the same time, he stresses the importance of exercise in keeping our body systems and signals functioning optimally, even if it won't make us thinner. Hunter-gatherers like the Hadza move about five hours a day and maintain remarkable health into old age, while elite athletes can push their bodies too far, burning calories faster than their bodies can take them in. It may be that the most spectacular athletic feats are the result not just of great training, but of an astonishingly efficient digestive system.

Revealing, irreverent, and always entertaining, Pontzer's book challenges our preconceptions about food, exercise, and weight management. We burn 2,000 calories a day, and if we exercise and cut carbs, we'll lose more weight, right? Wrong. Pontzer's research upends these beliefs, showing that the key to managing our weight and improving our health lies in understanding how our metabolism truly works. Whether you're trying to shed pounds or simply want to optimize your health, this book offers a refreshingly candid and scientifically sound approach that will change how you eat, move, and live.

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