Six things we learned from Ruben Meerman’s Big Fat Myths.
The universe is full of misinformation about fat, weight-loss, dieting and wellness, so ‘surfing scientist’ Ruben Meerman took it upon himself to cut through the blabber. His book Big Fat Myths takes us back to the fundamentals, tracing every atom you eat into and out of your body. Diet myths and wellness nonsense topple like dominoes, restoring confidence in common sense and the age-old wisdom that to lose weight, you simply need to eat less and move more. Straight from the pages of Big Fat Myths, here four of the myths he busted and a couple of facts exposed, just for good measure.
BUSTED: Fat is made of atoms. The human body cannot convert fat to energy because it cannot annihilate atoms. The number of atoms in the cosmos does not change when you lose weight.
An average adult consuming the same amount of food as the Tour de France competitors while sitting on the couch watching the race for the twenty-two days will gain about 11 kilograms at around 500 grams per day.
BUSTED: A 2000-kilogram car travelling at 100 kilometres per hour has 770 kilojoules of kinetic energy (184 Calories) which would be very ‘bad’ calories in a head-on collision. If the same kilojoules get you from A to B unharmed, however, they’re pretty ‘good’ calories.
BUSTED(ish): According to The Compendium of Physical Activities, the MET rate for sexual activity performed with ‘active, vigorous effort’ is 2.8 (MET code 14010) while ‘passive, light effort, kissing, hugging’ has a MET rate of 1.3 (MET code 14030). For comparison, ‘cooking or food preparation, moderate effort’ has a MET rate of 3.5 (MET code 05049), beating a good romp by 0.7 METs, while ‘sitting, reading, book, newspaper, etc.’ rivals gentle smooching with a MET rate of 1.3 (MET code 09030).
TOTALLY BUSTED: Any sensible or ludicrous diet can work as long as less substance is taken into the body and more substance comes out.
Human beings eat plants, animals that eat plants, and animals that eat other animals that eat plants – no matter what you eat, it all started with photosynthesising plants. Joseph Priestley discovered that the elusive ‘power’ in your muscles and you mind, which you get from the food you eat is actually sunlight. Every kilojoule (or calorie) you have ever swallowed shone on a plant first. It took another 150 years, however, to figure out what the source of sunlight is (spoiler alert: it’s the nuclear fusion reactions in the core of the star we orbit.)
Magical creatures, perilous trials and one unbelievable adventure await in Protector of Beyond, the first book in a gripping new fantasy book series from exciting new voice Shara Curlett.
Fall in love with Penguin’s selection of the best romance fiction. Explore our diverse list of new favourite reads, from YA favourites to Australian classics.
Looking for a good book to accompany your holiday? Whether you’re sitting poolside, on a snowy escape or relaxing at home, find our 10 best choices here.
At the end of a busy day, many of us like to sit down with a good book or in front of the television to relax. Both offer the chance to enjoy a great story, but they engage us in their own ways.
From a smouldering slow-burn to fiery heat at first bite, we’ve paired some of our best spicy books with our most delicious dishes.
Discover the diverse books our team recommends to broaden your reading and introduce you to unforgettable new authors.
Forget the Roman Empire. We're entering our Greek mythology era.
If you’ve been hearing these words a lot lately and not sure what they mean, here’s your guide to the DCC universe.
See Penguin Australia’s selection of the best book adaptations, from movies to TV shows. Get to reading or watching your next favourite here.
Discover Penguin Australia’s best memoirs & biographies. Find a curated list of powerful stories from the most interesting & inspiring people.
Do you already have a costume for Children's Book Week, but no book to match?
Take a journey across the sea and follow the heroic, catastrophic, and sometimes downright gruesome tales of the Greek king Odysseus in this modern retelling of Homer's The Odyssey.