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Diet Cults: The Surprising Fallacy at the Core of Nutrition Fads and a Guide to Healthy Eating for the Rest of US Hardcover – May 15, 2014

by Matt Fitzgerald (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 262 ratings
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From the national bestselling author of Racing Weight, Matt Fitzgerald exposes the irrationality, half-truths, and downright impossibility of a “single right way” to eat, and reveals how to develop rational, healthy eating habits.

From “The Four Hour Body,” to “Atkins,” there are diet cults to match seemingly any mood and personality type. Everywhere we turn, someone is preaching the “One True Way” to eat for maximum health. Paleo Diet advocates tell us that all foods less than 12,000 years old are the enemy. Low-carb gurus demonize carbs, then there are the low-fat prophets. But they agree on one thing: there is only one true way to eat for maximum health. The first clue that that is a fallacy is the sheer variety of diets advocated. Indeed, while all of these competing views claim to be backed by “science,” a good look at actual nutritional science itself suggests that it is impossible to identify a single best way to eat. Fitzgerald advocates an agnostic, rational approach to eating habits, based on one’s own habits, lifestyle, and genetics/body type. Many professional athletes already practice this “Good Enough” diet, and now we can too and ditch the brainwashing of these diet cults for good.
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  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Pegasus Books
  4. Publication date
    May 15, 2014
  5. Dimensions
    6.3 x 1.2 x 9.3 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9781605985602
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1605985602
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Matt Fitzgerald is an acclaimed endurance sports and nutrition writer and a certified sports nutritionist. He is the bestselling author of more than a dozen books on running and fitness, including 80/20 Running, How Bad Do You Want It, Racing Weight, and Iron War, which was long-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year and Diet Cults, also available from Pegasus Books. He is a columnist on Competitor.com and Active.com, and has contributed to Bicycling, Men’s Health, Triathlete, Men’s Journal, Outside, Runner’s World, Shape, and Women’s Health. He lives in San Diego, California.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1605985600
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pegasus Books; 1st edition (May 15, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781605985602
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1605985602
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.3 x 1.2 x 9.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 262 ratings

About the author

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Matt Fitzgerald

Matt Fitzgerald

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Matt Fitzgerald is an award-winning endurance sports journalist and bestselling author of more than 20 books on running, triathlon, fitness, nutrition, and weight loss, including Brain Training for Runners and Racing Weight. His byline appears regularly in national publications including Men's Journal, Outside, and Women's Running. An experienced running and triathlon coach and certified sports nutritionist, Matt serves as a Training Intelligence Specialist for PEAR Sports and as a featured coach on active.com.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
262 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book informative and well-written. They appreciate its understanding of scientific complexities and interesting direction. Readers find the diet advice useful and common-sense, providing practical guidelines for eating healthy. The text is presented in a clear, easy-to-understand manner for general readers.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
ReadabilityInformation qualityDiet adviceReadable text
28 customers mention "Readability"24 positive4 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They find it a worthwhile read for health enthusiasts. The first chapter is described as amazing.

"...right on target with his ratings and that he provides some simple, excellent, non-cultic dietary guidelines to live by...." Read more

"...This “Gladwell-esque” style can be very engaging on such semi-non-fiction subjects but Fitzgerald needs to more fully develop the many sides of the “..." Read more

"...It’s worth the read, just be sure to maintain critical thinking skills throughout." Read more

"...This is a very worthwhile contribution to the health and fitness literature in my opinion." Read more

24 customers mention "Information quality"20 positive4 negative

Customers find the book informative and enlightening. They appreciate the author's understanding of scientific complexities and his ability to provide reasonable advice. The premise and examples are interesting, and the guide provides outcomes-based guides to what sorts of diets work for different people. Readers appreciate the common sense and scientific information about each diet.

"...is right on target with his ratings and that he provides some simple, excellent, non-cultic dietary guidelines to live by...." Read more

"..."Racing Weight" and the companion cookbook as general, outcomes-based guides to what sorts of diets work for champion endurance athletes and..." Read more

"...that relies on a pair of component parts: his extraordinary comprehension of scientific complexities, and his ability to translate them in effective..." Read more

"Interesting premise and examples. The author tells the stories of people who subscribe to various diets...." Read more

14 customers mention "Diet advice"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's diet advice useful. They appreciate the simple, non-cultic guidelines to follow and the common sense approach to eating healthy. The author does a reasonable job of describing various popular diets using stories. While not attacking the diets themselves, he does not attack their justifications. The book cuts through the clutter and explains the pull to follow various diets.

"...ratings and that he provides some simple, excellent, non-cultic dietary guidelines to live by...." Read more

"...In these books, Fitzgerald does not poo-poo any specific diet yet goes about substantiating the relevance of a healthy agnostic approach to diet for..." Read more

"One of my favorite books on nutrition and all the myths and fallacies that surround it...." Read more

"...and diet, that it is refreshing to have one book that explains all the popular diets and points out the scientific facts about each's strengths and..." Read more

9 customers mention "Readable text"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and easy to understand. They praise the author's ability to translate complex issues in a clear and readable manner for general readers.

"...comprehension of scientific complexities, and his ability to translate them in effective and decidedly readable fashion for general readers...." Read more

"...Matt is a very good writer and the book has a good flow to it...." Read more

"...The saddest part of this book is that it is well written and there is a lot to agree with...." Read more

"Another great text from Matt Fitzgerald...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Timothy H. Heaton
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent treatment of diet fads and how to choose an appropriate diet
    Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I just purchased this book and started reading it, and I am familiar with the author from his other books and online presentations. His specialty is athletics and athletic nutrition, and he bases all his writings on the latest scientific studies. I also follow the paleo diet closely, and I live in a family of vegetarians. This book explains how diet fads develop and tend to be taken to extremes as the scientific literature is filtered through a philosophical agenda. This is best seen in the foods (and often whole food groups) that are forbidden by different diet fads. The book explores the fact that none of these specialty diets leads to universally better health, and that explains why so many contradictory diet fads are able to thrive simultaneously. The main purpose they serve is to create an identity for their followers, not to guarantee better health. But this book is much more than a critique. It promotes what the author calls an "agnostic diet" where foods are graded in quality, but nothing is strictly forbidden. The key, according to Fitzgerald, is to make sure you are eating the greatest quantity of the highest-quality foods while keeping the lowest-quality foods to a minimum. These "quality" ratings are based on the latest scientific studies and will not be a surprise to anyone. As I see it, the foods that most diet cults have in common (such as vegetables) are of the highest quality, while those they universally oppose (such as processed sugar and trans fats) are of the lowest quality. I think Fitzgerald is right on target with his ratings and that he provides some simple, excellent, non-cultic dietary guidelines to live by. I highly recommend this book to athletes and non-athletes alike.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Le Manchot
    4.0 out of 5 stars A informative “hors d'oeuvre" on the subject. Hopefully the main course will come soon.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2014
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    I looked forward to the publication of “Diet Cults” by Matt Fitzgerald after reading and enjoying his books “Racing Weight” and “The Racing Weight Cookbook”. I highly recommend "Racing Weight" and the companion cookbook as general, outcomes-based guides to what sorts of diets work for champion endurance athletes and how you might refine your own diet to help with your competitive endurance endeavors. In these books, Fitzgerald does not poo-poo any specific diet yet goes about substantiating the relevance of a healthy agnostic approach to diet for endurance athletes. The books contain sensible diet advice based on observations of what works for champions. Given that “Racing Weight” is now in a second edition, many others are similarly impressed with the contents of this work.

    “Diet Cults” is an attempt by Fitzgerald to bring some rationality to the spectrum of religions that make up the current diet universe. “Food is Religion” is one of the many operative concepts that Fitzgerald discusses and analyzes with respect to the impact on the decison-making process of the privileged and fortunate in this world who have the freedom to decide what sort of diet they are going to consume. In fact the book starts out speaking to the origin of diets as coming from semi-religious and religious communities where such diets helped reinforce (and enforce) adherence to the religious tenets in place at the time. Religion as the origin of diets (and “diets as religion”) really helps one understand today’s current dogmatic, polarized situation. As Fitzgerald points out, “rationality” does not have a large place at this point and looking rather to outcome-based results is a defensible way to approach your own diet.

    Fitzgerald does a reasonable job at describing the various popular diets (food religions) today and uses stories and “characters” (e.g. Brian MacKenzie of CrossFit) to help entertain the reader in the process- some with greater success than others. This “Gladwell-esque” style can be very engaging on such semi-non-fiction subjects but Fitzgerald needs to more fully develop the many sides of the “stories” rather than just concentrate on the “character”. He misses out on the powerful combination of presenting both the “focus character” and the “character(s)” behind the studies and science that may or may not support the particular diet (much as Gladwell does in some of his books and essays). There is a near total miss on the later and substantially detracts from what would, with such additions, be a landmark book. It would be a longer book, but a much better book.

    His calling-out of Tim Noakes on the subject is well done and demonstrates that “religion” can infect even the best of scientists. Other examples of such "scientific" over-zealousness are also included in the book. This serves as a fair warning to all about the powerful polarization and irrationality that has always infused the subject.

    Whilst I personally subscribe to Fitzgerald’s “Healthy Agnostic Eating” concept, he could make a much stronger case with the inclusion of some level of a comprehensive review of what the (currently defective) field of “nutrition science” is finding- in particular that there is very little that can be concluded from a rigorous scientific perspective based on what we know today.

    The book is a quick read and quite enjoyable in stretches but lacks quite a bit of depth and has no index. It is more like a very long essay than it is like a book and would serve as a starting point for anyone who would like to make a study of diets, their origins, and their efficacy. Fitzgerald does however have an important message about diet- there is no one way. The extent to which he conveys this to the typical reader will determine the success of this book.

    I recommend the book but be aware that it is an “hors d'oeuvre” on the subject. Hopefully the main course will come soon.
    20 people found this helpful
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  • A. Halsey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Matt Fitzgerald is the best writer on these issues in the industry
    Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    There are damned few books -- other than the classics -- that I buy simply because I trust the author. Matt Fitzgerald is a notable exception. His work about sports and nutrition have set a modern standard that is unrivaled by anyone else now writing. Whether it's running ("Racing Weight"), triathlon ("Iron War"), or the ultimate questions about appropriate diet that endurance athletes inevitably ask ("The New Rules of Marathon and Half Marathon Nutrition"), Fitzgerald's work is the standout on the subject. It is skill that relies on a pair of component parts: his extraordinary comprehension of scientific complexities, and his ability to translate them in effective and decidedly readable fashion for general readers. Any one of the aforementioned titles could have been academic tomes, but they're not. Fitzgerald has done it again with "Diet Cults." This one will be controversial -- check some of the other reviews that surround my own -- and it should be. Fitzgerald goes head-on at the often-dubious, rarely necessary notions that drive some popular diet plans or eating regimens, debunking several of their core theories along the way. There is no singular "right" way to eat, only good guidelines for prudent eating. In the era before microwave ovens, TV dinners and fast food this sort of advice came from that voice on high: your mother. It's worth hearing -- and reading -- again.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Jen
    3.0 out of 5 stars Mostly worth it
    Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2020
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    Interesting premise and examples. The author tells the stories of people who subscribe to various diets. The problem is he moves from anecdotes to sweeping generalizations and leaps in logic that he calls obvious, but those generalizations and leaps aren't supported by the science he cites.

    It’s worth the read, just be sure to maintain critical thinking skills throughout.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Adrian Day
    5.0 out of 5 stars Diets suck. Let Matt pull you through the drivel.
    Reviewed in Australia on April 4, 2019
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    Diet books are all the rage, so its refreshing to see one that flies the other way. Nicely put together and hits the nail on the head.
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  • Dilbert890
    4.0 out of 5 stars Easy, engaging read
    Reviewed in Canada on September 25, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting book, there's some good information in it but at parts it feels like they've made their point but dragged it on. Contains relevant information to challenge the ideas marketed toward us.
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  • Mädchenkunst
    5.0 out of 5 stars Schluss mit dem Ernährungschaos
    Reviewed in Germany on December 13, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Vegan, Paleo, Rohkost uvm... Welche Ernährungsweise ist denn jetzt nun die gesündeste?
    Dieses Buch gibt einen tollen Überblick über die verschiedensten Ernährungsformen und deren Vor- und Nachteile. Außerdem habe ich einen tollen Einblick in die Studienlage zum Thema Ernährung bekommen. Super Infos für alle Interessenten im Ernährungsbereich.
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  • LB
    5.0 out of 5 stars interesting and useful
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I found this book compelling reading. A lifelong obsession with finding the perfect diet and yo-yo ing on the scales, has left me in the position of knowing that "diets" don't work. I have been trying to find a simple healthy way of living but not quite knowing if I am doing the right thing and struggling to make sense of all the information in the media and literature.
    This book has helped me to clarify and organise all those thoughts and has provided factual reinforcement for the way I feel about diets and how I want to construct my nutritional framework. It has been like turning on the light and realising you made it to the right place in the dark!
    In the main the book is a summary of why all the popular diets have flaws. It is not a recipe book, nor is it a new diet to follow. But, at the end of the book, Mr Fitzgerald provides the best model I have personally ever seen for assessing your eating habits and highlighting areas in which you could make healthier choices.
    If you are looking for someone to tell you what to eat and when , this book is not for you.
    My opinion is that for anyone who is motivated to improve their nutrition and move towards a healthier lifestyle, this non prescriptive monitoring system may be just what they need to help them achieve that goal.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Mr. Andrew S. Wright
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, well-researched, but preaching to the converted
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2018
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    This is an interesting and well-written book. Essentially, it takes many of the established current diet trends and discusses their efficacy. However, you probably don't come to this book without knowing a lot of this information already: it's a 'meta-diet' book - not telling you how to be healthy and maximise nutrition (apart from a little at the end, which doesn't come as any kind of surprise), but explaining why diets work or don't work.

    I took a star off because I would have liked further information on meat and dairy free diets and whether Fitzgerald feels these are nutritionally greater or lesser than their dairy and meat alternatives. But, I enjoyed it, I was interested by the premise and Fitzgerald is writer I've read before and would read again.
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