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The Obesity Paradox

When Thinner Means Sicker and Heavier Means Healthier

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Most of us think that longevity hinges on maintaining a normal body mass index. But research conducted over the last decade hit the media with explosive news: overweight and even moderately obese people with certain chronic diseases—from heart disease to cancer—often live longer and fare better than normal weight individuals with the same ailments.

In this groundbreaking audiobook, Carl Lavie, MD, reveals the science behind the obesity paradox and shows us how to achieve maximum health rather than minimum weight. Lavie not only explains how extra fat provides additional fuel to help fight illness, he also argues that we've gotten so used to framing health issues in terms of obesity that we overlook other potential causes of disease. Picking up where the bestseller Fat Chance left off, The Obesity Paradox will change the conversation about fat—and what it means to be healthy.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 3, 2014
      “Fat isn’t always bad. And exercise isn’t always good,” cardiologist Lavie writes in his introduction to this thoughtful examination of what society deems a healthy weight. That pat statement is the crux of the “obesity paradox”: overweight and even moderately obese patients often live longer and fare better than their thinner counterparts when it comes to chronic diseases, cancers, and even HIV. Lavie and Loberg examine this conundrum from multiple angles, looking at where fat cells are stored, metabolic health and muscle mass, and exercise levels. By no means are the authors about to proclaim obesity a healthy option; they are quick to acknowledge that it can be tough to determine which came first, the diabetes, or the obesity or heart disease, for example. Still, studies show that patients who focus on overall fitness rather than weight loss are healthier in the long run. Readers hoping for a free ticket to all-you-can-eat ice cream or permission to tear up their gym card will be disappointed, but those who’ve focused on numbers—whether body mass or weight—will likely find solace and sound advice here.

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  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

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  • English

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