Running Head: THE OBESITY CODE CRITICAL ANALYSIS 1

Critical Analysis
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The Obesity Code Critical Analysis

Authors main message
In "The Obesity Code," Dr. Fung argues out that diabetes does not result from excessive intake

of calories but rather hormones. He refutes that excessive consumption of calories has been the

leading cause of diabetes, as many medical practitioners have always proposed it. Thus

throughout the book, Dr. Fung focuses on insulin, the principal hormone that controls metabolic

reactions within the body that is majorly linked to diabetes. He contends that diabetes develops

when insulin levels within the body escalate and thus leading to insulin resistance. The insulin

resistance blocks the necessary metabolic reactions from taking place hence culminating into an

excessive accumulation of fats within the body. The presence of conflicting information about

the exact causes of diabetes, its prevention, and treatments have for a while has kept many

people in a state of confusion. Again for ages, obesity has been thought to be as an inheritance

factor, however Dr. Fung aids in refuting these claims. The various calorie- based theories of

obesity also do put across that diverse eating, or dietary lifestyles do cause obesity, which is also,

Dr. Fung considers as a myth. Therefore Dr. Fung's book is essential as it provides the readers

with the much-craved information and the various strategies grounded in the obesity myth. The

book, as well digs into providing the readers with multiple solutions to dealing with obesity

issues.

Intended target audience

Dr. Fung's book covers an array of an audience who can benefit from its contents. The first

significant audience is obese individuals who are in dire need of losing their body weight. In the

book, Dr. Fung provides various ways of managing one’s body and keeping it on balance. Again,

this book is quite suitable, maybe for individuals who might be having a low body mass index

and willing to gain weight. As the book stipulates ways of reducing the weight, it
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correspondingly offers primary tactics of gaining weight too. The people having a constant gain

of weight despite carrying out various physical exercises would as well benefit from reading the

book. The additional intended audience is diabetic people who are in continuous search for the

right medication. As it has always, being postulated that diabetes is incurable, "The Obesity"

presents succinct and exhaustive information on dealing with the diabetic condition and the

complications, which come alongside. People with other diseases as insulin-resistant disorders

such as Alzheimer's and fatty liver are also amongst the audience that would benefit from the

book. Health professionals would, too, obtain insightful information that would help in

understanding the process of weight loss and offering the necessary advice to people seeking to

lose bodyweight. They will be able to recognize obesity as a hormonal problem rather than

calorie based.

Author’s qualification to write the book

Dr. Fung is a nephrologist or a kidney specialist based in Toronto, whereby he also established

various diet blogs and dietary management programs. Thus from this perspective, his vast

experience in the career field offers him adequate knowledge to write about diet. Such also

implies that he has interacted with obese and diabetic patients, a point from which he can draw

his research findings. Yet, again, Dr. Fung has a comprehensive coverage of various clinician

networks such as the Physician Ancestral Health, which engages in study and research about the

use of food diets in treating diseases. Again being lecture also provides scholarly grounds to

substantiate his eligibility in scripting the book.

Strengths of evidence of the sources discussed by Dr. Fung

In his writing, Dr. Fung incorporates various resources to prove the authenticity and solidify his

claims about multiple subjects addressed. He provides adequate research in all the matters hence
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providing the readers with the correct and necessary information without misleading them. The

intense use of various evidence in his works actively does bring out didactic features that aid

most clinicians, people with diabetes, and obese people in clearing off the ever confusing

information about excessive calories as the primary causative agent of an increase in body fats.

He chronologically takes the readers stepwise on issues about weight gain and loses coupled with

the correct proves, research work, and pieces of evidence that aid in backing up his assertions.

Having read the book, I observed that he utilizes historical facts, first-hand experiences, science,

and other dimensions in developing compelling arguments, which demystify facts about weight

gain or loss.

A weakness of the text

The book is quite informative and essential in tackling matters about weight gain and weight

loss. However, reading the text, I noted some minor weak points, which I should put across.

Regarding the healthy diet he proposes, the majority of his foods comprise dairy products. From

this point, he, in a way, brings about some contradicting facts as while he still recommends

people to shun from proteins as they elicit insulin spikes, Dr. Fung includes them in the healthy

diet he recommends. The diet also entails of grains, which again in the chapter about the

fatphobia, infers grains and legumes as a source of health risks to humans. Also, concerning

fasting as a significant way of weight loss and insulin, he provides some statistics to back up the

claims. However, I wish he could have included some observables about the progress of some

patients and their response overtime to make it more fascinating in understanding the fact.

Why I would recommend this book to a client

Many individuals are still stuck in the notion of calories as a significant cause of obesity. The

book offers the primary form of science that explains the truth behind obesity, and therefore I
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outrightly recommend it to my clients more so the obese. It goes beyond teaching the rational

science of losing weight through maintenance of lifestyle to offering scientific doctrines

necessary in circumventing obesity. It also goes further into debunking most commons myth

used unknowingly in losing weight. The majority tries to apply the Low-Carbohydrate or Atkin

methods to no frustration, but I believe this book acts as the correct antidote to weight loss.