Burn by Herman Pontzer is about metabolism and the way that we expend energy.

Thoughts while reading:

-I was aware of that human life spans are exceptionally long compared to other mammals of our size but the example given (comparing us to dogs) was still surprising
-it's no surprise that there's so many misconceptions surrounding calories because so many people have an agenda when it comes to managing weight
-it was really interesting to learn about primate energy expenditure compared to other placental mammals. I have no idea that primate energy expenditure was so much lower than other animals, or that orangutans faced so much hardship getting food that their energy expenditure is almost comparable to a sloth
-it was also really interesting to learn about how there is an energy trade-off between our organs, and while some primates expand more energy with their guts, humans traded off that balance by expending more energy with our brains
-I wouldn't have guessed that humans higher energy expenditure compared to other primates would also be tied to our propensity to put on fat as well as having large appetites
-the book goes into the biology of how people use energy and make use of the basic components of food like protein, carbohydrates and fat. There's a discussion on the energy expenditure of basic exercises, and how exercise doesn't compare to our bodies efforts to keep us alive (BMR)
-I had no idea that humans shared resources so much more than other primates, to the point that it may have been the advantage that set us apart from the others
-the constrained energy expenditure model, the idea that our body compensates for exercise by reducing the amount of energy we spend, is really interesting
-I really enjoyed the sections about the lifestyle of the Hadza. It was really interesting reading about their attitudes towards life and how they deal with difficulties, as well as how they foraged such as using honey guide Birds to find honey.
-I didn’t realize that consistent exercise lowers hormone levels, both testosterone and estrogen. But exercise is still highly beneficial because when you eat food, the energy you consume goes to where it’s supposed to, rather than where it’s detrimental
-the body seems to adjust astonishingly quickly to endurance exercise by moderating energy needs
-it was interesting to hear about the history of making use of external energy, and how Hunter gathers and other animals require less calories in order to take in the energy they need to survive, but in the modern day we have externalized energy so much that we consume vast amounts of energy far in excess of what is required for basic survival. It's a little harrowing to consider that if we don't solve our energy needs, then we basically won't have a future

 

It was an informative book and I really enjoyed hearing about his experiences with the Hadza (including the pictures), as well as learning the importance of movement, despite the fact that exercise isn't particular effective for cutting weight. Overall, I would give this a 4 out of 5