Fat: Fighting the Obesity Epidemic [Hardcover]

Robert Pool uses the Pima Indians in Arizona and Mexico to explain why the Arizona Pimas are the fattest in the United States verses their relatives in Mexico who are much thinner. Mr. Pool states that the Pima Indians were given bacon and cheese in the 1930's which started them on the weight gain. This is FALSE. Mr. Pool wrongly believes, as many still do today, that weight gain and diabetes is caused by the consumption of fats. Bacon and cheese has a very short shelf life and the Pimas did not have refrigeration. These were very expensive commodities which were NOT given to the Indians in those times. Excessive carbohydrates in the diet was and continues to be their problem. The Pimas were given sugar, white flour and canned goods like highly sweetened fruit in sugar sirup, jams and jellies. Mr. Pool did not even mention the sugar and white flour in the list of foods give to the Pimas.(...)

Don't buy Robert Pool's book unless you enjoy reading fiction.

Robert Pool uses the Pima Indians in Arizona and Mexico to explain why the Arizona Pimas are the fattest in the United States verses their relatives in Mexico who are much thinner. Mr. Pool states that the Pima Indians were given bacon and cheese in the 1930's which started them on the weight gain. This is FALSE. Mr. Pool wrongly believes, as many still do today, that weight gain and diabetes is caused by the consumption of fats. Bacon and cheese has a very short shelf life and the Pimas did not have refrigeration. These were very expensive commodities which were NOT given to the Indians in those times. Excessive carbohydrates in the diet was and continues to be their problem. The Pimas were given sugar, white flour and canned goods like highly sweetened fruit in sugar sirup, jams and jellies. Mr. Pool did not even mention the sugar and white flour in the list of foods give to the Pimas.

One can read the truth about the demise of the health of Indians in the book, "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" by Weston A. Price, D.D.S., ISBN 0879838167. Dr. Price traveled the world in the 1920's and 1930's to compare the health differences between isolated and modernized societies and tribes. He absolutely proved that excessive carbohydrates caused their decline in health while the healthy diet of the isolated groups was very high in fats and animal products. Dr. Price lived in that time period and studied the Indians directly to obtain factual data. Mr. Pool is just making up things to fit his premise.

The best book about fat in the diet is "Know Your Fats" by Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. Dr. Enig correctly describes how dietary fats are necessary for good health and are not the cause of obesity.

Other very good books which accurately describe why people gain weight and how they can loose the weight without harsh low calorie diets are:

Syndrome X by Jack Challem, Burton Berkson, M.D. and Melissa Diane Smith
Protein Power by Dr. Michael R. Eases and Dr. Mary Dan Eades
Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution by Dr. Robert C. Atkins

Don't buy Robert Pool's book unless you enjoy reading fiction.