Low-Fat Living: Turn Off the Fat-Makers Turn on the Fat-Burners for Longevity Energy Weight Loss Freedom from Disease [Hardcover]

Dr. Robert K. Cooper (Author), Leslie L. Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 1996

Identifying ten ways to reduce fat, a low-fat lifestyle program offers tips in exercise, recreation, diet, and stress reduction that are not dependent upon will power. Men's Health Main. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Many health and fitness books offer once-over-lightly health evaluations, giving general information about getting your lifestyle in order and toning up your body a bit. Because all of these books work from the same universe of information--"Aerobic exercise gives you a stronger heart!" and "Resistance training builds muscle tone!"--the only real difference is in how clearly the authors explain the basics and how appealing they make the information. Low-Fat Living gets high marks on both counts. If you're in moderately good shape and try to watch your diet, you're not going to learn anything new here. But if you've let your health slide and you're starting to see the detrimental effects of doing so, this book is as good as any to help you get on the right track.

From Publishers Weekly

A cheerful, action-oriented program for lifestyle change is presented by the director of the Ann Arbor Center for Health and Fitness Excellence, who is aided by the author of America's New Low-Fat Cuisine. Reiterating that his Low-Fat Living Program is based on skillpower, not willpower, Cooper builds on the concept of switches, describing ten that turn on the body's fat burners (e.g., eating dinner early) and ten that turn off its fat makers (e.g., avoiding low-fiber meals and snacks). Throughout, the well-referenced text is brightened by numerous "Switchbreaks" sidebars advising specific tactics and lighthearted headings (e.g., "Send in the Subs"). Although exercise is well covered, and sleep and stress management get their due, the emphasis is on a diet which draws 20% of calories from fat. To this end, Cooper offers advice on grocery shopping, food preparation and dining out. Augmenting the text are original and imaginative recipes for 14 lunches and dinners and for more than two dozen whole-grain yeast breads, all with nutritional analyses.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 478 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books; Edition Unstated edition (February 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875962955
• ISBN-13: 978-0875962955
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #707,215 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Whole Systems Approach, August 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Low-Fat Living: Turn off the Fat-Makers, Turn on the Fat-Burners for Longevity, Energy, Weight Loss, Freedom from Disease (Paperback)

My only complaint with this book is its title, "Low Fat Living." It goes far beyond that. This is really the "whole mind, whole body" approach to weight control and more. This book seems to be a collection of everything that the authors could find that contributes to weight loss, organized in an interesting and integrative manner. I particularly loved the study that showed that people watching television burn up fewer calories than people sitting and watching a blank screen. As a woman at age 53, I was wondering if I could ever again shed pounds. My old approaches didn't work. The one thing that I knew was that people who successfuly do lose weight and keep it off do so through making life-style changes and they tailor what they do to their own bodies. This book enabled me to have a comprehensive understanding of what those changes needed to be concerning (1) nutrition, (2) exercise (including simply increasing motion), (3) water, (4) sleep, and (5) stress management. To my surprise, stress management has actually been the most challenging-and perhaps the most rewarding. I am no longer in the "diet" mentallity. I am now concentrating on making the small changes--trying this and that until I find ways that appeal to me and that I can sustain--and these are adding up to large changes that affect not just my weight, but my general health. Through this process and over several months, I am finding that my body and mind are changing in what they want. It is like my whole system is resetting to different standards. I'm beginning to actually be drawn to vegetables and whole grains, walking the dog, and skipping TV. Who'd'a thunk?

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy & Enjoyable to read, March 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Low-Fat Living: Turn Off the Fat-Makers Turn on the Fat-Burners for Longevity Energy Weight Loss Freedom from Disease (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book immensely because I thought that Dr. Cooper presented some simple guidelines to reducing the fat intake in one diet as well as overall hints to improve one's lifestyle. What made the book most enjoyable for me was that he did a good job explaining how one's body stores fat and deals with fat, with case studies to back his explanations. Understanding how my body works gave me greater insight into trying to live a low-fat life. In addition, I've tried some of the recipes in the book and what I've made so far was delicious. Don't take my positive words to mean that living low-fat is easy; it's not! I really have to motivate myself to eat low fat and excercise.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SKILLPOWER NOT WILLPOWER!, May 13, 2001

By 

Lee Mellott "Skin Care For Wrinkles" (Frederick, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Low-Fat Living: Turn off the Fat-Makers, Turn on the Fat-Burners for Longevity, Energy, Weight Loss, Freedom from Disease (Paperback)

Low Fat Living is an informative book full of simple techniques you can incorporate into your life to lose weight and become healthier. Instead of fighting your desires for fatty foods or the urge to be a coach potato, Dr.Cooper and his wife Leslie teach you easy techniques to help you work with yourself not against yourself. For example he explains how drinking cold water can help you burn off fat as your body uses calories to warm it to core body temperature. In the book the authors explain how you can turn on your bodies fat burners by making easy to follow lifestyle changes. Little changes that can add up to long term, permanent weight loss. You will learn how artificial sweeteners can increase your cravings for sweets, why breakfast is such an important meal (and what to do if you are not a breakfast eater), snacks that trigger insulin reactions (and thus cause fat storage) snacks that are great anytime, ways to decrease your desire for fats, easy ways to get moving (even if you dislike exercise), mental and physical excercises and much more. The book is loaded with easy to follow suggestions to help you change your health permanently. Many delicious recipes are also included. A wonderful, simple way to help you get on the road to a healthier lifestyle!