Diet Cults

by Matt Fitzgerald

From the national bestselling author of Racing Weight, Matt Fitzgerald exposes the irrationality, half-truths, and downright impossibility of a “single right way” to eat, and reveals how to develop rational, healthy eating habits.

From “The Four Hour Body,” to “Atkins,” there are diet cults to match seemingly any mood and personality type. Everywhere we turn, someone is preaching the “One True Way” to eat for maximum health. Paleo Diet advocates tell us that all foods less than 12,000 years old are the enemy. Low-carb gurus demonize carbs, then there are the low-fat prophets. But they agree on one thing: there is only one true way to eat for maximum health. The first clue that that is a fallacy is the sheer variety of diets advocated. Indeed, while all of these competing views claim to be backed by “science,” a good look at actual nutritional science itself suggests that it is impossible to identify a single best way to eat. Fitzgerald advocates an agnostic, rational approach to eating habits, based on one’s own habits, lifestyle, and genetics/body type. Many professional athletes already practice this “Good Enough” diet, and now we can too and ditch the brainwashing of these diet cults for good.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Food, Nutrition, Audiobook, Science, Diets

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 8, 2014

About the author

Matt Fitzgerald is the author of numerous books on sports history and endurance sports. He has enjoyed unprecedented access to professional endurance athletes over the course of his career. His best-sellers include Racing Weight and Brain Training for Runners. He has also written extensively for Triathlete, Men's Fitness, Men's Health, Outside, Runner's World, Bicycling, Competitor, and countless other sports and fitness publications.

Reviews

[Jess Dollar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave it 4 stars because it was a lot of fun to read, not because I thought it was particularly insightful or well researched. In fact, I disagree with a lot of what Fitzgerald writes here and feel he missed a big piece of the diet puzzle.

I am an all or nothing person and terrible at moderating. I used to consider this a fault until I realized/learned that all people are either moderators or abstainers and there is no moral superiority to either predisposition. Moderators are just that - good at moderating. Abstainers are terrible at moderating and find it's much easier to abstain from something than to try to use it moderately. If you don't know that you are an abstainer, you can waste a lot of time and mental energy trying to follow the common advice "everything in moderation" which is offered up everywhere when it comes to diet, including in Fitzgerald's book. If I try to moderate intake of ice cream, for example, I will think of nothing but that ice cream in my freezer until it's all gone. My husband is a moderator and can easily and without mental anguish eat a bowl of ice cream every few days until the carton is gone.

I've worked with tons of athletes and regular people as a personal trainer and coach and my pet peeve is when I read or hear about others in my field who assume that everyone is like them. This is especially annoying when it means something like this: a guy who is a moderator, hasn't had much issue with his weight, and can lose weight easily through exercise trying to give advice a woman who gains weight with increased exercise, is an abstainer, and has been overweight for most of her life. That's one example, but I have seen it over and over again in my field. These people, of which I would classify Fitzgerald, rely too much on their own personal experience when they should really know better.

Fitzgerald also missed making a great point about choice architecture even though he skirted around the idea a couple of times. The paradox of choice is an incredibly important variable to consider with diet cults and fitness routines. We have so many food choices available to us and most people don't handle unlimited choice well. It's an emotional drain to face limitless choices day in and day out. It's very taxing on will-power and decision-making. Fitzgerald mentions this in the discussion of the habits of the select few people who lose weight and keep it off. One of those habits was that they eat a smaller variety of foods than other people. Unfortunately, he didn't make the bigger connection that those people had discovered the paradox of choice through trial and error and realized that it's easier to stay thin when you constrain your choices. Nobody wants OTHER people to limit choice for them, but if you can do it for yourself you can make your life a lot better and make success a matter of habit, not a battle of will.

He again mentions choice in the chapter on protein and bodybuilders. His example in this chapter is someone who follows a very strict and repetitive daily schedule of meals and workouts that may seem excessively restrictive and regimented to someone like Fitzgerald. But to some people, those strict daily habits are a perfect way to live. As Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

This is primarily why I tend to be drawn to "diet cults". I've done paleo a lot, I've done ketogenic, I've done vegetarian (that lasted from age 12 to my early 30s), I've done Weight Watchers, I've been gluten free for about 3 years, I love intermittent fasting. I know intellectually that the reason it works for me is that it limits my choices and eliminates most of the foods I have trouble moderating (sugar, sugar,sugar, and sugar. And grilled cheese sandwiches). I know this and it's why I choose to participate. It limits choices and gives me freedom from battles with willpower. It provides rules to follow and for abstainers that is a very good thing. I'm setting myself up to succeed by manipulating my environment to best suit my temperament.

Fitzgerald's way of eating may work great for him and for many other people. I don't doubt that at all. But it won't work at all for people that don't do well with unlimited choice, who have an easier time avoiding certain things altogether, who are all or nothing people, who have addiction tendencies, who don't want to think about food choices every day, etc. In fact, I think most people do well when they have fewer choices. For more on that issue, I would recommend people read "The Paradox of Choice" by Garry Schwarz and "Willpower" by Roy Bauermeister (both of these are books by actual researchers explaining the work they do and the results they have found).

I have found great success in rearranging my daily life to maximize good habits and limit exposure to situations that require me to use willpower. I was disappointed that Fitzgerald totally missed this important benefit of following a particular diet and dismayed that in his professional capacity as a coach and nutrition counselor he may not be considering this aspect of human nature in how he advises his clients.

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with the author's premise--that there is no one "perfect" diet that works for everyone, and that most of the rules and restrictions of popular diets are unnecessary, and sometimes silly. I also think that the "agnostic healthy eating" guidelines he provides in the last chapter seem sensible. And overall, the writing style is snappy and entertaining.

The book could have been much better, though. I thought that the overall structure was rather disorganized (it seemed more like a series of magazine articles and interviews cobbled together into book form than a cohesive argument), and rather than seriously analyze or critique the diets, I felt he just took pot-shots at the low-hanging fruit. For example, he talks about veganism, but 95% is about raw vegans rather than the more moderate majority who also cook. Of the influential diet authors of the vegan landscape, T. Colin Campbell and Dean Ornish get one mention each (a sentence long), and the arguments of Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. MacDougal and Dr. Barnard are not mentioned at all. Vegetarianism, which is much more mainstream and seems to have some solid evidence behind its healthfulness, isn't even mentioned.

On to the Paleo diet, which he describes in its extreme meat-centric macho "caveman" form, thus implying that all devotees of ancestral eating are fueling their next Crossfit workout with a giant steak. Actually, the paleo community embraces a broad spectrum of views, and my favorite authors--Mark Sisson, Dallas and Melissa Hartweg, Diane Sanfillippo and Chris Kessler, to name a few--all acknowledge individual differences depending on physiology and health status, and allow wiggle-room for non-paleo food choices. And contrary to another assertion in Fitzgerald's book, most also address a vast array of other lifestyle issues such as stress, sleep, community, etc. It's not just about eating big piles of meat. You would never guess this from reading Fitzgerald's brief summary of this.

As for the low-carb juggernaut, Fitzgerald spends most of his argument demolishing Atkins' unfair disdain for the humble potato. Actually, I am no fan of Atkins (my own bias being in favor of whole foods, be they high or low in carbs), but I am curious about many arguments of the low-carb movement concerning insulin sensitivity, systemic inflammation and hormone balance that are never addressed...because we're still talking about the maligned potato. Also, he discusses the lingering influence of the low-carb movement without once mentioning one of the crucial factors in this, the Atkins apologist Gary Taubes.

And...Weight Watchers?? What is that even doing in this book? Their point system is just a simplified method for calorie counting; they don't advocate for or against a specific diet.

Instead of these fad diets, he implores us to rely on common sense (yes to that), Marion Nestle (I do respect her views), science and the government's MyPlate. Well...yes and no. Science gave us things like margarine, trans fats, and high fructose corn syrup and tried to convince us they were good for us, and the government Food Pyramid ushered in the blighted low-fat era, so...let's give them the same grain of salt we should sprinkle over food fads. (I highly recommend Denise Minger's entertaining Death by Food Pyramid for more on these topics.)

Finally, at one point he states that chocolate, while so delicious it makes people happy, is not allowed on either vegan or Paleo diets. (????) First of all, chocolate is absolutely vegan (as long as not mixed with dairy), as are the other indulgences he mentions in the chapter, coffee and wine. All come from plants; all are therefore vegan. As for being Paleo, here are some recipe titles from Diane Sanfilippo's wonderful book Practical Paleo: chocolate orange and mint chip truffles; chocolate coconut cookies; pepita goji berry bark (which calls for one cup dark chocolate chips); and moo-less chocolate mousse.

In summation: Diet Cults is very readable and I support the take-home message about common-sense eating. But I wish he had done a better job of discussing the various nutrition fads instead of taking pot shots at the extreme fringes. Honestly, I don't pretend to know the final truth in nutrition either...but you can't go wrong with chocolate!

[John Gurney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diet Cults surveys the scientific literature on many trendy diets like raw food, Atkins, South Beach, Zone, Paleo, Vegan, Superfoods, gluten-free, as well as protein supplements and shows that almost all have no scientific merit. To take the case of gluten-free, most people don't even know what gluten is and, unless you are one of the very rare people with celiac disease, there is no reason for you to even think of gluten. If anything, Fitzgerald goes out of his way to be fair, giving the diet fad propagators the benefit of the doubt because many are hucksters.

Fitzgerald writes well, and he makes a lot of cogent arguments about evolutionary biology and its impact on diets. Perhaps it is not a surprise humans can successfully eat whole grains, gluten, meat and other products that they have been eating for hundreds of thousands of years. He makes an excellent point about how our global food chain has greatly changed dining. A "Paleo" diet of New England blueberries, Mexican avocados, Panamanian bananas, and Iranian pistachios isn't remotely "Paleo" because these foods could never have been consumed by the same prehistoric man. He is also right that modern avocados, for instance, are much bigger and fleshier than those of the pre-Colombian days. Our forebears ate very differently- and yet successfully- in varied geographies, ranging from disproportionately protein to mostly carbohydrate and everything in between. The human body is very adaptable, and Fitzgerald uses a detailed history of how Lewis & Clark's diet changed on their long journey.

This book is filled with what should be common sense, but many basics are lost when desperate dieters join cult-like groups. When you look at the science, there are some rather simple things that work. Fitzgerald, a certified nutritionist and athletics writer, concludes with his 'agnostic' diet recommendations that are very broad, but rooted in science, and tens of thousands of years of experience. In a nutshell, exercise regularly and primarily eat, in descending order, vegetables, fruits, nuts, unprocessed meat and seafood, dairy, whole grains, and, in lesser amounts, refined grains, processed meats, sweets, and, only in very small amounts, fried foods.

I liked the wealth of data in this book. There are a number of interesting statistics that suggest what does and doesn't work. It lacks the pizazz of a fad diet, but it serves for those of us who crave a successful way of eating for life.

[Sve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book that discusses the history of various diet fads and 'forbidden foods' to come to the common sense conclusion that one doesn't need the latest diet to eat in a balanced and healthy way.

[Sarah Obsesses over Books & Cookies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting to read this and definitely wasn't expecting to finish it but I did. I've never heard of Matt Fitzgerald but I guess he's a big sports writer and long distance racer and stuff. He seems to have thoroughly researched this book. You get a sample of each kind of diet craze and why people subscribe to it and what they get out of out and also what is false about it and what doesn't work and you the reader get to take whatever information you've learned from it and apply it (if you want) to your life.
Personally, I'm so sick of people's diets. Yes, keto people I'm looking at you. And paleo and vegan and whole 30 whatever. It's just- okay, you go on a diet for your reasons and you listen to the doctrine about the diet and you get all excited about this new thing and it works and as you're on it you want to tell everyone about this new thing and why you too should do it. That's the thing I have a problem with. Also we are all different and we all have different needs. I stopped eating artificial sugar a while back because there was an association with panic attacks when I used it. No artificial crap and now very very few panic attacks.
But I'm not a believer in the 'no sugar' thing. but that's me. The author's point of view is sort of brought to the attention of the reader as an 'agnostic' eater. Meaning, he eats a lot of healthy stuff but also eats some junk food too.
I think without having thought of any labeling, that's where I fall; not subscribing to any one category of eating I just like what I like and sometimes i'll pick fruits and other times cookies. I'm not a huge meat eater but i will never refuse a fajita- chicken or steak.
In the book the author talks of not only different diets but also different periods in history like the current cross fit people, how people ate before they were considered 'human', the times of the Lois & Clark expedition, weight watchers, paleo, supplements and shakes, atkins, south beach, fasting, water fasting, juicing, raw diets,how exercise has been thought to not help you lose weight but then proven that it does and also how some people can eat whatever they want and accomplish great things and some people gain weight no matter what.
I liked how I felt like after each chapter, 'well that diet is good and bad and basically is just a way to keep track of how you eat and you can get the same results eating this other way too'.
There was no way of eating that was the perfect way. That's what the author was trying to get across.
So for me this was a nice way to back up my already in place attitude of do whatever you want but i'll just be over here with my apple and fajitas and beer basking in my after bike ride glow and shit.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

A freebie on Audible, and read by the author, this makes an engaging series of chapters discussing various diet fads - or cults - and their successes and failings. Unfortunately, while each discussion is interesting in its own right, the book as a whole never really seems to be going anywhere. The stories are mostly anecdotal in nature and, while interesting enough on that level, don't really ever seem to drill down into real science to refutre them. The final chapter where Fitzgerald provides his own 'diet' contains a number of 'no studies have been done here, but I wouldn't be surprised to have my beliefs proved right'. It's a shame, because while I agree with all his conclusions, I don't think he would have swayed me if I wasn't there already...

[Jeff Hayes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Complete waste of time. There is nothing new here, Fitzgerald is condescending, and it's not sourced. Save your time - Fitzgerald tells us to eat the same things we have always known to be healthy, and says that motivation is the key to being healthy. Overwhelming evidence shows that this mainstream view doesn't work for the majority of people, so this book is only useful to those who have no idea how to eat.

[Melinda Godfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook! Lots of very good information! Listening to each plan and how it came together . How it can do some much damage long term. It’s easy to see why Diet Culture is so strong in every day living. All food has value and we all need all foods to nourish our bodies!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were many things that I liked about Diet Cults: the cover (and I can't even articulate why), the layout, the tone, the reassurance, and the Agnostic Eating Plan.

I loved the layout of Diet Cults. Each chapter addressed a different type of "diet cult" until the very last chapter, which discussed the author's Agnostic Eating Plan. Personally, I find comfort in reading a book with good, predictable cadence. There's a time and a place for thrillers and suspense, but a nonfiction book about diet isn't it. I liked that each chapter was laid out in roughly the same pattern: the "diet cult" is touched upon briefly, then an anecdote about someone currently on/advocating that diet, then the author's rebuttal, then a summary. I LOVED that the author isn't overly pushy in his arguments! He totally lets the science speak for itself. This allowed me to feel smart, like I was connecting the dots myself. (I wasn't. It's just that the author laid out the facts in such an awesomely easy-to-understand way for me.)

I also loved loved loved that pretty much every major diet fad out there was proven to have at least a little fallacy in it. You see, I was reading this book for the wrong reasons. I was reading it hoping that the author would be wrong; that there would be an answer for what to eat for optimal health. I was wrong . According to Diet Cults (and I totally agree with this, at least for now), there is no "correct" diet. There's only food, and it's good for you. Yes, you should have common sense and know that, like, Krispy Kremes aren't good for you (really nothing that's fried is good for you) but you should also have the common sense to know that it's not bread that's the problem; it's the fried cooking that's the problem. Whole grain bread is totally ok for you (in moderation). This book basically reassured me that I'm doing ok in feeding myself and the hubby. We're not Paleo or Atkins or low-carb or anything; we're just normal. I try to avoid stuff like canned condensed cream of anything soup and I buy low-fat cheese and I try to avoid preservatives and food dyes, but I don't obsess. And I now truly and honestly believe that we're going to be ok.

The very last chapter of the book explains the author's Agnostic Eating Plan, which is sort of an un-diet. Basically, you're aiming to have a good mixture of foods in your diet. Lots of veggies and fruits, some protein, a little whole grains, and very scant sweets & oils. The author gives you a chart in case you want to obsess and keep count, but you could easily do the un-diet in your head. It's that simple.

What did I take away from this "diet book"? I upped the amount of veggies present at every meal (for both me and the hubby) and cut back on sugar and am relishing the peace of mind. This was a very approachable read and I really enjoyed it and I recommend it.

[Dennis Mitton · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to piss off a whole lot of people then start poking holes in their religious beliefs. This is exactly what Matt Fitzgerald has done in Diet Cults. And if you don’t think some dieters are religious just consider that they put belief in their experience ahead of any verifiable science. And just like religions, what many of these diets share is a belief that only one way of eating leads to the path of true health. If you think theological battles between Southern Baptists and Roman Catholics can get rough then you’ve never seen a vegan college coed take on an Atkins adherent over a nice steak, cooked rare.

Fitzgerald argues that almost everyone can stick to basic nutritional guidelines and be healthy. Polan’s “Real Food. Less of it. Mostly plants.” fits well here. There are no super foods. There are no forbidden foods. Protein will not set you free. Paleo will not give you a new lease on life. He steps through each of these diets and others skewering them as mostly modern fads.

He weaves research in throughout the text and provides references in the appendix. It’s a good starting place though nutritional research is a morass of conflicting findings. He also argues from personal experience that elite athletes – people who have the discipline and will to follow any diet for performance - mostly shy away from specialty diets and eat what he calls an agnostic diet. Agnostic of the true truth of other diets they stick to real food in reasonable amounts. Boring but effective and easy. All foods are permissible and none impart superpowers or super health.

Fitzgerald takes care to recognize that there are individual proclivities toward certain diets. “Diets choose people”, he says. There are people who genuinely feel better eating foods without gluten. Some people are genuinely bothered by lactose. But selling a gluten free or raw foods diet as a cure all for everyone is what rankles him. These diets typically lack scientific validity and are almost impossible to maintain. There is ample evidence that people lose weight on these diets in the short term – often because they are difficult or boring – and then gain weight back when they drop it.
The book is generally well written though I wonder how many disciples’ minds he will change. It’s not overly rigorous and in many areas he simply weighs his experience against someone else and that’s a tough way to win an argument. But I think his approach to eating is likely the best way for most people to eat. Think Michael Polan with an occasional slice of apple pie.

Three stars.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say that the style of writing in this book really impressed me much but if the author was aiming to make it easy to read and accessible, I suppose he's done that. It really came across as more chatty rather than scientific, like a neighbour leaning over the fence and saying, hey did you hear about so and so?
I could have gone for something a little more scientific, maybe with some better facts and figures, though I do not in general disagree with his view of these fad diets I don't think he really came across as knowledgeable as he could have.
His alternative to these diets is a practical plan he calls 'agnostic healthy eating' that really just breaks down into eating more of the good stuff and less of the bad stuff, though he does seem to be assuming that anyone following this plan will be exercising a fair bit.
None of the diets in this book are really bad for you though, they all work for some and not for others, as the anecdotes show. They tend to be adopted by particular types of people and it works for them. If the body builders want to eat Paleo, so be it.
What I really got from this book is that humans are determined to be judgemental, with every proponent of a diet insistent that it's the only way and what we need to learn is that the human body is super adaptable, just pick something that works for you and try not to bore all your friends and family with constant talk about food and exercise.

[Antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science + Humor = my kind of book. This one has both. It’s down to earth and full of common sense, as well as some little-known facts. Like Alan Levinovitz (The Glueten Lie And Other Myths About What You Eat), Fitzgerald highlights the parallels between religious cults and diet fads. And I think he’s right on the money.

There are no secrets to weight loss. There are no superfoods. There are no absolute do’s and don’ts. There’s no best diet. In fact, “no diet” is best. Bottom line: Pollan’s advice is still the soundest: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Real food, reasonable amounts. Same thing.

My favorite chapter was the one on the potato. What a fabulous food! Who knew? Not people of my age and time, who have been brainwashed to see the as the starchy wrecker of waistlines.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator (not the author) was really, really good. And I’m picky.

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Information about the fallacies of diet fads and problematic homeopathic diagnoses (like candida) was really great. The author’s opinion that all anyone needs to do to lose weight is eat less food/more healthy food and exercise really dismisses every reason a person might be fat besides their personal choice to over eat “bad” foods, which is pretty fat phobic as well as harmful for people struggling with chronic illnesses or hormonal disorders, among other things.

[Emily Kirik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt it rather ironic in the last chapter Fitzgerald describes his “Diet Quality Score” test because it sounds an awfully lot like Weight Watchers points system which he of course ridiculed for being a diet cult. I don’t see anything wrong with either of these “keeping score” on diet ideas. How else are people going to motivate themselves and take responsibility for what they eat. However, I accept his hierarchy of foods because vegetables and fruits should be staples in our diets. As for the low carb, high carb, high protein type diets, I agree that none of these are really better than another. I do believe people can find balance between all the food groups and configure what is the best intake of macronutrients for them based on the AMDRs.

I agree that people join diets to give them a sense of identity and belonging. It’s tough in today’s world, with so many different food choices, to only have willpower and diligence in saying no to tempting foods. And since humans can thrive on many different types of diets, I think we shouldn’t give too much of a crap about what that diet is along as that individual is making an effort to change their lifestyle. After all, the epidemic of metabolic diseases are due mostly to behavioral and environmental factors. Of course no diet is the “one true way” and as long as people realize that—which I think this book accomplished—then there’s really no reason to stop people from trying diets. Who really follows diets word-for-word and wholeheartedly anyways? We have to be mentally content about our food choices, and I can attest that eating perfect all the time does not always benefit the mind. Indulging every once in a while is absolutely fine, and it also reminds us why we shouldn’t eat with abandon everyday.

Lastly, never will I call myself an “agnostic healthy eater”—I think I’ll just go with healthy eater.

[Flora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit that I have been a member of many diet cults. Along with compulsive exercising, self-experimenting with diets is practically a sport for me. Adding on a biochemistry background on top of that, the simple act of eating can be as complex as calculus.

When I stumbled upon The Diet Cult, I was more than eager to dig in. With the recent onslaught of social media, diets have taken on a religious halo as different camps start to unabashedly defend their “One True Way” of eating. Guilty as charged – I have been one of those people in the past.

But why do these diet cults exist?

Just like religion, food carries a moral element and is a part of cultural identity. Especially as cultures become more complex, dietary rules serve the purpose of strengthening group identity rather than benefiting health.

Nutrition is complicated, while the implementation of good nutrition is relatively simple. It has become a sticky topic because there is so much doctrine to it: choosing to eat a certain way has become so wrapped up in personal identity, it is nearly impossible to have a rational discussion. Besides the ocean of misinformation floating around, most nutrition “rules” are based on correlative studies, findings that focus on looking at nutrients in isolation, or highly-controlled lab environment. Everyone remotely interested in health is in pursuit of a “pure and perfect” diet, believing this will be the epitome of health.

What’s forgotten in the process is the adaptability and wisdom of the human body: evolution has enabled us to eat a variety of foods and still thrive. If anything, Fitzgerald drives home this point and makes it abundantly clear that it's time to dismiss diet cults for good.

[L.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the website, "Science Based Medicine". So when I saw that they had actually recommended an eating book, I was intrigued. Matt Fitzgerald spends a lot of time in this book debunking commonly practiced diets and long-held food myths in such a way that I was interested the entire time. In the end, he presents a science-based approach to eating where no food is forbidden (unless you have food allergies or lactose intolerance). He argues that we should focus MOST on the healthier foods and focus on eating LESS of the less-healthy foods. Seems legit. Harder to practice without hard and fast rules, though. I find that people like myself need a structure. SO he recommends keeping a scoring sheet or some sort of food diary that you can track how often you're eating the healthier items on the 10-food-group list and when you're eating less healthy items like sweets, refined carbs, low-quality meats and seafood, and fried foods. I would recommend this if you have struggled with yo yo dieting in the past (er...like myself.)

[Libby Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me personally, the fact that most modern ‘diets’ are completely baseless fads with little to no health benefit for a normal human being with normal, varied eating and moving habits comes to no surprise. However, I’m continually surprised at the amount of people in my life (mostly middle-aged women) who are constantly entertaining the most random restrictions on themselves.

They all need to read this. It does seem like I’m constantly singing the praises of Matt Fitzgerald, an author I randomly stumbled across one day and now seem to love everything he’s ever done. But… he makes this as entertaining as it is well-researched and scientific (again).

[Kaela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thought it was going to be more about the psychology behind diets and diet fads, which is the first bit but it was unnecessarily condescending and judgmental towards ppl who might choose a diet for whatever reason. Plus, when talking about the Lewis and Clark excursion, he used 'Indian' a lot, which I didn't think was necessary (it wasn't quoting any old text or in reference to the Indian act), plus used 'squaw' which just no

[Selma Felice · Rating 4 out of 5]

That’s a great book. I’m no nutrition expert - just an enthusiast - and I couldn’t see the author invalidating any type of diet, just bringing historical and science facts to light in a very sensible and respectful way. He did act as a cult-buster and I thought that was brilliantly done: he definitely has pushed lots of buttons along the way. It was an easy listen with lots of insights.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I thought it would be. Fun walk through diet fads up to present day, which offers good perspective. The author defines a diet cult as one where a certain food is either completely banned or touted as a cure-all. Good reminder to eat good food in a smart way.

[Ben Cliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting content, but broken narrative and, in my opinion, a pretty broken premise. All the stuff on the history of food and diets is super interesting, but in my opinion, the fundamental point that Fitzgerald is trying to make is a bit flawed. Free on Audible though which was nice!

[Misty DeRosier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a LOT of diet books, and this is hands down the best I’ve ever read. I was fascinated by the cultural and anthropological background surrounding dietary restrictions and delighted in remembering some of the crazy fad diets of the past. But when all is said and done, healthy eating is exactly what we all already know. It ends with very practical, doable advice.

[Chelsea K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poked holes in a lot of the fad-diets that we have all heard. However, the suggested solution does not diminish the overwhelming food choices readily available to us. So essentially my food analysis-paralysis is real.

[Sandy Su · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book for those seeking to improve their lives! Debunks all the "diet fads" out there and promotes the main message of overall healthier eating and exercise. This book was motivational as well as informative and an interesting read about the history of food and the social/evolutionary/psychological/cultural relationship with food.

[Tammy D'Oyley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. I have probably been a member of most of the "diet cults " I enjoyed the authors comparisons. I have been coming to his conclusion on my own , but learned quite a bit as well.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many fad diet books, normally based on some "One True Path" to lead the reader into the inner circle they create. This is the antithesis of those books.
Part history, part nutrition science, part psychology, and all practicality. Loved this.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fitzgerald's major premise is that people don't succeed on diets because of any biological needs that make one diet more effective than another, but because adhering to a diet -- any diet -- makes you a part of a community that gives you a sense of self and a source of encouragement.

I was fascinated with the way Fitzgerald plainly lays out the case against each of the diets -- Paleo, Atkins, gluten-free, raw-food, Weight Watchers, what-have-you -- while simultaneously describing the lives of people who have had great improvements in their life because of their participation in these same diets.

I even learned one thing that surprised me. Apparently, no scientific evidence exists for the connection between the consumption of large amounts of protein and the more efficient creation of muscle mass. Yet, ask a successful bodybuilder if he or she uses protein powder and they will invariably say they do. The powder is a sacrament, like Catholic communion. It doesn't matter if the powder has no effect or if the bread and wine don't actually become flesh and blood. The effect on the mind is the same.

Fitzgerald's stated point in writing this book is to help those of us who adhere to no particular diet, but who eat healthily anyway, find encouragement in the same way that others might find encouragement in books like The South Beach Diet or The Atkins Revolution. To this end, the last chapter describes a kind of game an "agnostic" eater can play to evaluate their diet and make changes if desired. (An "agnostic" eater is someone to whom no food is forbidden.)

Meanwhile, yesterday, I had a big ol' plate of Greek appetizer paste things and I had no idea how to score any of them because what the hell do I know about Greek appetizer pastes? "It's probably all vegetables," said Greg, "except for the green one, which is probably mostly cheese."

In any event, I have believed for a long time now that nutritionists in general are confused people throwing bones at an excitable media who is anxious to feed their overweight patrons anything to get them to click on a thing. This book actually was comforting to me in that it told me that my instincts aren't wrong. Red wine and CrossFit aren't necessary to my salvation. I can do it myself.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author appropriately portrays food as fuel, not medicine. His premise is that diet cult members don't eat more pragmatically but more ritualistically. He says all anyone needs to know about weight the right amount and eating well is what a 10-year old would know. Eat more fruits and vegetables than sweets. It isn't about the food someone eats but her/his behavior that makes them overweight and feel crappy. It's about portion control and exercise. But fads offer rules and rituals so people can save face when they can't take or keep weight off. They say they haven't found the right diet for them rather than admit defeat in self control to replace most sweets with produce and to exercise. They believe pseudoscience because they want to fit into a group. My Plate isn't sexy but restrictive dogma makes the cult exclusive, difficult, and unsustainable just when people need an excuse for why they can't maintain a healthy weight. Based on these premises, the author went on to discredit each fad diet chapter by chapter: raw food, paleo, weight watchers, super foods, Atkins, gluten free and candida diets, protein supplements, and type diets (eg blood and metabolic type). He concludes with normal advice - eat more veggies and fewer sweets and exercise. He is spot on when he wrote, "individual differences exist but they lie at the margins, whereas the core requirements are universal." (p 241) Everyone should read this book and ask themselves honestly to consider their use of fad diets as excuses for low self control.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diet Cults by Matt Fitzgerald gives us a strong analogy to frame the intense marketing of diets and nutritional supplements that are so common today. Fitzgerald outlines how sometimes well meaning but misguided nutrition "experts" villify healthy foods (think: potatoes, fruit) and tap into the human instinct to be a part of a group of like minded people. Fitzgerald's assessment that every diet fad promotes its plan as "The One True Way" of eating is spot on, and he clearly demonstrates over the course of several chapters how diverse eating can be equally healthy, and that it is not necessary to forbid eating certain foods.
Aside from a few minor complaints (he cites Wikipedia for the time period when the Ancient Hebrews settled in Canaan, and has a penchant for Yoda-style grammar when trying to make a point), Diet Cults is a worthwhile read, and one that anyone considering a "diet makeover" should read before they buy in.

[Zaveqna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to eat healthy and still enjoy life! Also, easy and fun to read, with a lot of impressive examples.

I'm only giving it 4 and not 5 stars because of I feel the explanations of the diferent categories of food in the last chapter could have been more detailed, with more examples and maybe a bit more precise. However, this feeling might be a result of my own inclination to keep to a precisely defined "cult" rather than thinking on my own :)