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  • Published: 20 September 2022
  • ISBN: 9780141990170
  • Imprint: Penguin Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 384
  • RRP: $30.00

Burn

The Misunderstood Science of Metabolism




A myth-busting tour of the body's hidden foundations from a pioneering evolutionary biologist

Why do so many diets lead to more weight gain?
Do more active people have faster metabolisms?
Is exercise essential for weight loss?

Over the past twenty years, evolutionary biologist Herman Ponzter has conducted ground-breaking studies across a range of settings, including pioneering fieldwork and Hadza hunter-gatherers in northern Tanzania.

This book draws on his eye-opening research to show how, contrary to received wisdom, exercise does not increase our metabolism. Instead, we burn calories within a very narrow range: nearly 3,000 calories per day, no matter our activity level.

By taking a closer look at what happens to the energy we consume, Ponzter explores the ways in which metabolism controls every aspect of our health - from fertility to immune function - and reveals the truth about the dynamic systems that sustains us. Filled with facts and memorable anecdotes, Burn will change the way you think about food, exercise and life.

  • Published: 20 September 2022
  • ISBN: 9780141990170
  • Imprint: Penguin Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 384
  • RRP: $30.00

Praise for Burn

Burn will make you question what you think you know about metabolism and your waistline

Stephan Guyenet, PhD, author of The Hungry Brain

Burn is science writing at its best... will reshape what you thought you knew about how our metabolisms work

Alex Hutchinson, New York Times bestselling author of Endure

A fun, fast-paced, eye-opening, and innovative book that will revolutionize how you think about the energy that fuels your body and everything you do

Daniel E. Lieberman, author of Exercised and The Story of the Human Body

Herman Pontzer is one of the most gifted science writers of our time

Kelly McGonigal, PhD, author of The Joy of Movement

Pontzer's findings have huge implications for our attitudes to exercise, diet and public health

Mark Webster, Sunday Times

Ground-breaking, fascinating, important . . . we were astounded

Deliciously Ella, Delicious Ways to Feel Better