No one wants to overeat. And certainly no one wants to overeat for years, become overweight, and develop diabetes or heart disease. Yet two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, showing that most of us do precisely that. Why does our behavior betray our own intentions to be lean and healthy? The problem, argues obesity and neuroscience researcher Stephan Guyenet, is not necessarily a lack of willpower or an incorrect understanding of what to eat. Rather, our appetites and food choices are led astray by ancient, instinctive brain circuits that play by the rules of a survival game that no longer exists. And these circuits don't care about how you'll look in a bathing suit next summer. To make the case, The Hungry Brain takes readers on an eye- opening journey through cutting-edge neuroscience research that has never before been available to a general audience. The Hungry Brain delivers profound insights into why the brain undermines our weight goals, and translates these insights into practical guidelines for eating well and staying slim. Along the way, it explores how the human brain works, revealing how this one organ makes us who we are.

Author Biography

Stephan J. Guyenet, Ph.D. is an obesity researcher and health writer whose work ties together neuroscience, physiology, evolutionary biology, and nutrition to offer explanations and solutions for our global weight problem. He received a B.S. in biochemistry at the University of Virginia and a Ph.D. in neurobiology at the University of Washington. He is the author of the popular health website, Whole Health Source (wholehealthsource.org), and is a frequent speaker on topics of obesity, metabolism, and nutrition.