The New York Times bestselling author of Tomatoland test drives the most popular diets of our time, investigating the diet gurus, contradictory advice, and science behind the programs to reveal how we should and shouldn't be dieting. Essential reading this will completely change your ideas about what you should be eating. Ruth Reichl, author of Save Me the PlumsInvestigative journalist Barry Estabrook was often on the receiving end of his doctor's scowl. Realizing he had two options take more medication or lose weight. Estabrook chose the latter, but was paralyzed by the options. Which diet would keep the weight off. What program could he maintain over time. What diet works best or even at all. Over the course of three years, Estabrook tried the regimens behind the most popular diets of the past forty years from paleo, keto, gluten-free, and veganism to the Master Cleanse, Whole30, Atkins, Weight Watchers examining the people, claims, and science behind the fads, all while recording his mental and physical experience of following each one. Along the way, he discovered that all the branded programs are derived from just three diets. There are effective, scientifically valid takeaways to be cherry-picked and the rest is just marketing.