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You Are More Than What You Eat: Science, Nutrition, and a Perfectly Imperfect Approach to Eating
Our relationship with food is broken, but Dr Emma Beckett is here to help us repair it.
This is not a diet book, but it is a book about your diet, your life, and how food fits into it all.
In her sassy, and straightforward style, Dr Emma Beckett takes her extensive research qualifications and applies them to our everyday lives. She shows us how and why food choices, eating, and biology are not as simple as diet culture suggests. By embracing this complexity, we can empower ourselves to make changes that suit our unique lives and biology. Ditch the guilt that comes with trying to follow simple rules don't actually work, along with the pressure to be perfect.
Part manual, part memoir, part manifesto, You Are More Than What You Eat puts the person back at the heart of nutrition. Informed by a scientific evidence base, this is the perfect antidote to misinformation, and the weight loss industry. This book will teach you to embrace the complexity of your body and your life, reject the lure of simple slogans, and heal your relationship with food.
This is not a diet book, but it is a book about your diet, your life, and how food fits into it all.
In her sassy, and straightforward style, Dr Emma Beckett takes her extensive research qualifications and applies them to our everyday lives. She shows us how and why food choices, eating, and biology are not as simple as diet culture suggests. By embracing this complexity, we can empower ourselves to make changes that suit our unique lives and biology. Ditch the guilt that comes with trying to follow simple rules don't actually work, along with the pressure to be perfect.
Part manual, part memoir, part manifesto, You Are More Than What You Eat puts the person back at the heart of nutrition. Informed by a scientific evidence base, this is the perfect antidote to misinformation, and the weight loss industry. This book will teach you to embrace the complexity of your body and your life, reject the lure of simple slogans, and heal your relationship with food.
- GenresNonfictionSelf Help
304 pages, Paperback
Published July 30, 2024
26 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 19, 2024
I won’t bore you with clichés about diet culture. Growing up as a woman in the 2000s (and earlier) came with a lot of issues around food and self-image. This book is all about breaking down the diet mentality, emphasizing that as a unique individual, one-size-fits-all solutions ("just eat this" or "don’t eat that") won’t work. You are shaped by your own environment, genetics, and personal history, which makes you different from anyone else.
The author’s perspective as a food scientist is intriguing, though I could have done without full chapters on the testing protocols in nutrition studies, I felt this made the book longer than necessary. However, it’s a solid read on a very important topic. We all know, deep down, that diets don’t work, and that many food issues are rooted in cultural attitudes. But it’s refreshing to have someone gently remind us that it’s okay to eat and that quick-fix solutions fail for a reason : they’re simply too simplistic to work.
The author’s perspective as a food scientist is intriguing, though I could have done without full chapters on the testing protocols in nutrition studies, I felt this made the book longer than necessary. However, it’s a solid read on a very important topic. We all know, deep down, that diets don’t work, and that many food issues are rooted in cultural attitudes. But it’s refreshing to have someone gently remind us that it’s okay to eat and that quick-fix solutions fail for a reason : they’re simply too simplistic to work.
September 2, 2024
My favourite phrase from this book was "fail joyfully" (see below) - something I need to embrace in more aspects of life (and not just in my attempts to ride a bike). Definitely a great book for beginners along this journey of mending their relationship with food and their bodies - the way Emma Beckett explains concepts is simple yet wonderful and I'm hoping it will give me some strategies/templates for talking to patients in a more helpful way when it comes to nutrition and exercise.
P.184 "One of the reasons why I play sports like hockey is to push back against the need to be perfect. I am BAD at sports and possibly the most uncoordinated human that ever existed. I play in the lowest grades, but I show up each week, spend time with in friends, do some exercise, have fun and fail joyfully. I remind myself in and after every match that I'm not perfect, nor do I need to be. And failing joyfully doesn't mean giving up on making improvements. I am creeping forward in my skills progress, and every now and then I pull off a new type of tackle or hit. Failing joyfully means not letting the things that aren't perfect taint the totality of the experience. A mis-hit doesn't detract from a spectacular pass and it doesn't mean I won't ever hit the ball again -it also doesn't mean I need to make up for it with extra perfect hits. If we embrace imperfection, we can turn away from expensive superfoods and towards foods that we can afford. If we forget perfect, we can start choosing convenience and practicality without the side serving of guilt. When We start celebrating our successes, in our different contexts, We can stop feeling uncomfortable and unhappy in our own bodies and start working towards lifelong health. There is a great meme that landed in my social feeds saying something along the lines of I'm not working out for my summer body, I'm working out for my old lady body'- and that also applies to food and eating. "
P.184 "One of the reasons why I play sports like hockey is to push back against the need to be perfect. I am BAD at sports and possibly the most uncoordinated human that ever existed. I play in the lowest grades, but I show up each week, spend time with in friends, do some exercise, have fun and fail joyfully. I remind myself in and after every match that I'm not perfect, nor do I need to be. And failing joyfully doesn't mean giving up on making improvements. I am creeping forward in my skills progress, and every now and then I pull off a new type of tackle or hit. Failing joyfully means not letting the things that aren't perfect taint the totality of the experience. A mis-hit doesn't detract from a spectacular pass and it doesn't mean I won't ever hit the ball again -it also doesn't mean I need to make up for it with extra perfect hits. If we embrace imperfection, we can turn away from expensive superfoods and towards foods that we can afford. If we forget perfect, we can start choosing convenience and practicality without the side serving of guilt. When We start celebrating our successes, in our different contexts, We can stop feeling uncomfortable and unhappy in our own bodies and start working towards lifelong health. There is a great meme that landed in my social feeds saying something along the lines of I'm not working out for my summer body, I'm working out for my old lady body'- and that also applies to food and eating. "
September 9, 2024
I wish this book had been around the last 20 years. It would have made a positive impact, like it will now. Thank you for taking the time and effort to put this together.
September 23, 2024
My GP recommended this and I am glad they did. I feel seen and like I'm seeing diet culture clearly for the first time. Dr Emma Beckett is obviously an expert, but also "one of us". It's not a textbook or an academic style lecture book, it feels like a conversation with a friend (one who is better educated than me!) - it felt personal and kind. It isn't preachy, it doesn't over-promise, but it's enlightening and empowering. First time I have read a book like this and not felt like I was being sold diet or a lifestyle.
December 10, 2024
Dr Emma Beckett’s book is a must-read for anyone interested in divesting from the diet and wellness culture narrative of food, nutrition and health. It’s a wonderful resource that’s easy to read despite being backed by trustworthy sources of evidence. Thanks Emma for bringing this book into the world!
December 4, 2024
I might be slightly biased as Emma helped supervise me when I was completing research for my Bachelor of Biomedical Science (slash make sure I didn’t die in a laboratory fire in 2011) but I loved this book! I have become a big fan of anti-diet books but this one has so much science and research behind it that it worked to keep me super interested and help reframe how I think of food.
If you like science and nutrition, you will love this.
If you like science and nutrition, you will love this.
February 21, 2025
I both liked and disliked this book. Although Beckett knows about what she speaks, she seems to be more of a 'do as I say,' rather than 'as I do'. If you are looking for clarity on dieting, this isn't the book. Beckett spends most of it debunking everything from diets to food myths to psychoanalysis. At the end, she does give some advice, but as a nutritionist, rather than a dietitian, she looks at food rather than how it can be used in the dieting world, instead is against dieting altogether. Although her ideas were good and not necessarily sensational, she does state that she gives advice about nutrition in general, not a personal diet. I found this way of thinking to be more confusing rather than clear. She's against simple solutions, but that is what people need, simple, easy guidelines, rather than just eat how you feel, because in reality, that is how we are eating as a society, and currently we are not doing well, hence why so many dietitians and fads are out there, trying to add clarity to the mess we are in. More suitable for adults, simply because teens I think will find the messages a tad on the confusing side.
September 19, 2024
I felt better after reading this, like an expert finally gets it. I learned alot, but in a kind and gentle way, and now I want to learn more. I didn't realise how impacted I was by diet culture until I started reading it. I feel like my eyes are open now! I particularly loved that it wasn't shoving a specific diet down your throat.
January 9, 2025
🎧 Audio Book Review 🎧
𝕋𝕚𝕥𝕝𝕖: You Are More Than What You Eat
𝔸𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣: Dr. Emma Beckett
𝕄𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕦𝕞 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕚𝕟: Audiobook
ℕ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕠𝕣: Dr. Emma Beckett
𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤: Our relationship with food is broken, but Dr. Emma Beckett is here to help us repair it. This is not a diet book—it’s a book about your diet, your life, and how food fits into it all. With her sassy and straightforward style, Dr. Beckett draws on her impressive research credentials and applies them to our everyday lives. She dives into the complexities of food choices, eating, and biology, challenging the oversimplified messages of diet culture. Part manual, part memoir, and part manifesto, You Are More Than What You Eat empowers readers to embrace imperfection, flexibility, and the joy of eating. Grounded in scientific evidence, it offers a compassionate and refreshing antidote to misinformation and the pressures of the weight loss industry, helping readers heal their relationships with food and themselves.
𝕄𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤: At 44 years old, I’ve been stuck in a cycle of yo-yo dieting and guilt, constantly at war with food and my body. This book was exactly what I needed.
Dr. Beckett’s message challenges everything I thought I knew about food and health, offering an empowering perspective on diet culture. Her ability to make complex nutritional science accessible and relatable is remarkable. She sees the beauty in every individual, no matter their age, size, or background, and helps them feel heard—a rarity in this genre.
What stood out to me most was her focus on joyful eating and flexibility, breaking free from the rigid rules and “perfect food” narratives that dominate the wellness industry. Her evidence-based, no-nonsense approach, delivered with humor and empathy, gave me tools to rethink my relationship with food and to approach it with kindness rather than guilt. This audiobook was an incredibly empowering listen. Dr. Beckett’s narration brought a personal touch to the material, making it feel like a heart-to-heart conversation. If you’re tired of diet culture and looking for a fresh perspective on health and eating, this is a must-read.
Happy listening x
𝕋𝕚𝕥𝕝𝕖: You Are More Than What You Eat
𝔸𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣: Dr. Emma Beckett
𝕄𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕦𝕞 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕚𝕟: Audiobook
ℕ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕠𝕣: Dr. Emma Beckett
𝕊𝕪𝕟𝕠𝕡𝕤𝕚𝕤: Our relationship with food is broken, but Dr. Emma Beckett is here to help us repair it. This is not a diet book—it’s a book about your diet, your life, and how food fits into it all. With her sassy and straightforward style, Dr. Beckett draws on her impressive research credentials and applies them to our everyday lives. She dives into the complexities of food choices, eating, and biology, challenging the oversimplified messages of diet culture. Part manual, part memoir, and part manifesto, You Are More Than What You Eat empowers readers to embrace imperfection, flexibility, and the joy of eating. Grounded in scientific evidence, it offers a compassionate and refreshing antidote to misinformation and the pressures of the weight loss industry, helping readers heal their relationships with food and themselves.
𝕄𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤: At 44 years old, I’ve been stuck in a cycle of yo-yo dieting and guilt, constantly at war with food and my body. This book was exactly what I needed.
Dr. Beckett’s message challenges everything I thought I knew about food and health, offering an empowering perspective on diet culture. Her ability to make complex nutritional science accessible and relatable is remarkable. She sees the beauty in every individual, no matter their age, size, or background, and helps them feel heard—a rarity in this genre.
What stood out to me most was her focus on joyful eating and flexibility, breaking free from the rigid rules and “perfect food” narratives that dominate the wellness industry. Her evidence-based, no-nonsense approach, delivered with humor and empathy, gave me tools to rethink my relationship with food and to approach it with kindness rather than guilt. This audiobook was an incredibly empowering listen. Dr. Beckett’s narration brought a personal touch to the material, making it feel like a heart-to-heart conversation. If you’re tired of diet culture and looking for a fresh perspective on health and eating, this is a must-read.
Happy listening x
February 22, 2025
Brilliant insight into the broad scope of food & nutrition. Couldn’t recommend this enough to anyone looking for answers about the increase in fad diets & food scare campaigns. I personally felt so relived reading this book & hearing the contextually appropriate statistics behind our food & drink intake.
A good read for those with good levels of self awareness. Probably wouldn’t suggest to read this if you believe the reductionist diet approach.
A good read for those with good levels of self awareness. Probably wouldn’t suggest to read this if you believe the reductionist diet approach.
December 3, 2024
I’ve followed Dr Emma Beckett on Twitter for years and have always admired her passion for food, her clothes and earrings (IYKYK) and her ability to take down the haters.
I was so excited when she announced she was writing a book about food and diet culture, and it didn’t disappoint.
You Are More Than What You Eat is not a diet book per se, but instead it is a book about how food fits into your life.
With five academic qualifications in food, human nutrition and epidemiology, you might be forgiven for thinking this would be a dry and dull academic book.
It is not.
Although it is steeped in research, it is a super easy read, and packed with helpful info.
My top three themes of the book are:
1. “Look after your body, because it’s where you live!” – Dr Emma Beckett – this reiterates my mantra of “you only have one life, so make it a good one”.
2. Food is complex but knowing what to eat shouldn’t be hard. If you want to lose weight, you shouldn’t have to eliminate food groups, eat only one type of food, starve yourself, or take expensive meal replacements or supplements.
3. Your simple might not be my simple, and that’s OK. Just because it’s easy for you doesn’t mean it’s easy for me – for example, it’s one thing to say just eat fresh fruit and veggies, but what if you live in a food desert where you can’t access fresh? Or you don’t have the time, energy or money to buy and prepare them?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I borrowed this book from my local library.
I was so excited when she announced she was writing a book about food and diet culture, and it didn’t disappoint.
You Are More Than What You Eat is not a diet book per se, but instead it is a book about how food fits into your life.
With five academic qualifications in food, human nutrition and epidemiology, you might be forgiven for thinking this would be a dry and dull academic book.
It is not.
Although it is steeped in research, it is a super easy read, and packed with helpful info.
My top three themes of the book are:
1. “Look after your body, because it’s where you live!” – Dr Emma Beckett – this reiterates my mantra of “you only have one life, so make it a good one”.
2. Food is complex but knowing what to eat shouldn’t be hard. If you want to lose weight, you shouldn’t have to eliminate food groups, eat only one type of food, starve yourself, or take expensive meal replacements or supplements.
3. Your simple might not be my simple, and that’s OK. Just because it’s easy for you doesn’t mean it’s easy for me – for example, it’s one thing to say just eat fresh fruit and veggies, but what if you live in a food desert where you can’t access fresh? Or you don’t have the time, energy or money to buy and prepare them?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I borrowed this book from my local library.
May 15, 2025
I don't understand why these books don't have more reads but "influencers" drinking gallons of laxative teas are revered as the authority on nutrition and weight loss?
Some thing(s) I liked:
✅well written
✅fun personable tone
✅knowledgeable author
✅relatable
✅lots of studies and research to back up claims
Some thing(s), not so much:
⭕Nothing! :o
Some thing(s) I liked:
✅well written
✅fun personable tone
✅knowledgeable author
✅relatable
✅lots of studies and research to back up claims
Some thing(s), not so much:
⭕Nothing! :o
February 27, 2025
I will admit that I didn't finish it but I found value in the 80 odd pages that I did read.
May 6, 2025
Some good points but quite repetitive.
November 9, 2025
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a wonderful antidote to the diet culture and ozempic affair society is having right now. It’s well put together and a good mix of science and storytelling.
This is a wonderful antidote to the diet culture and ozempic affair society is having right now. It’s well put together and a good mix of science and storytelling.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews