The New American Diet

The New American Diet (Rodale, 2009) is the first diet book to investigate the effects of "obesogens" on our bodies, and to propose a prescriptive diet plan to reverse what they call "The Obesogen Effect." Author Stephen Perrine (editor of Children's Health, editor-at-large of Men's Health, and former editor-in-chief of Best Life) and co-author Heather Hurlock (former health editor of Best Life) research and discuss the link between obesogens and the American obesity crisis, as well as increases in rates of diabetes, depression, heart disease, declining birth rates and sperm counts, and autism.

The New American Diet describes obesogens as natural and artificial endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in the American food and water supply. These include certain plastic-based compounds, pesticides, naturally occurring chemicals found in soy products, and growth hormones fed to livestock. By disrupting the delicate balance of the endocrine (hormonal) system within the human body, obesogens can trigger an unnatural increase in fat cells, as well as interfering with the body's ability to process leptin, the hormone that triggers feelings of satiation. As a solution, the authors propose a prescriptive diet plan based around environmentally conscious meats, fish, produce and dairy products. In a test, 400 volunteers signed up for the diet plan. Those who stuck with the plan for six weeks reported an average weight loss of 15 pounds.