The Diet Myth

Tim Spector, one of the leading scientists in the field, reveals the extraordinary connection between our gut and our health
'Completely fascinating' Sheila Dillon
'A great book . . . very convincing' Alex Renton, BBC RADIO 4
'The Diet Myth is fascinating, and I'm now obsessed with microbes!' Nigella Lawson FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED EDITION Why do most diets fail? Why does one person eat a certain meal and gain weight, while another eating the same meal loses pounds? Why, despite all the advice about what to eat, are we all still getting fatter? The answers are much more surprising - and fascinating - than we've been led to believe. The key to health and weight loss lies not in the latest fad diet, nor even in the simple mantra of 'eat less, exercise more', but in the microbes already inside us. Drawing on the latest science and his own pioneering research, Professor Tim Spector demystifies the common misconceptions about fat, calories, vitamins and nutrients. Only by understanding what makes our own personal microbes tick can we overcome the confusion of modern nutrition and achieve a healthy gut and a healthy body. THE FOOD PROGRAMME (BBC RADIO 4) BOOK OF THE YEAR 'I don't read diet books and I certainly never plug them, but The Diet Myth is a worthy exception that provides new insight into why we should think twice about what we put in our mouths' The Times 'Ground-breaking' Bee Wilson See what readers have to say: 'If you read one book about diet and your health, this should definitely be it' ----- 'This book is an absorbing read; a clear explanation, in layman's language, of why diets so often don't work' ----- 'Very rarely do I come across a book so valuable I feel compelled to by again and again. I'm afraid my family and friends will find it in their Christmas presents whether they like reading or not' ----- 'A masterpiece . . . You owe it to yourself to read it' ----- 'I found it very empowering . . . I think it would be very uplifting and thought provoking for anyone who struggles with weight and mental health issues relating to food' -----

Tim Spector is Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King's College London and Hon Consultant Physician at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital. He has won several academic awards and published over 700 academic papers, a large proportion of which relate to nutrition and the causes of obesity. Since 2011 he has lead the largest microbiome project in the UK, using genetic sequencing to study the bacteria in the guts of 5,000 twins. He is the lead investigator for British Gut, the UK's largest open-source science project to understand the microbial diversity of the human gut. www.tim-spector.co.uk / @timspector