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The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.6 out of 5 stars 37,408 ratings

Everything you believe about how to lose weight is wrong. Weight gain and obesity are driven by hormones - in everyone - and only by understanding the effects of insulin and insulin resistance can we achieve lasting weight loss.

In this highly listenable and provocative book, Dr. Jason Fung sets out an original, robust theory of obesity that provides startling insights into proper nutrition. In addition to his five basic steps - a set of lifelong habits that will improve your health and control your insulin levels - Dr. Fung explains how to use intermittent fasting to break the cycle of insulin resistance and reach a healthy weight - for good.

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Product details

Part of series Code
Listening Length 10 hours and 9 minutes
Author Dr. Jason Fung
Narrator Brian Nishii
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date December 20, 2016
Publisher Audible Studios
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B01MRKEO0U
Best Sellers Rank

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
37,408 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book well-researched and easy to understand, with clear explanations that make it accessible to lay readers. They report significant weight loss results, with some losing up to 26 pounds of fat, and note that their quality of life has greatly improved. The book's fasting principles are praised for being sustainable long-term, and customers appreciate its eye-opening approach to health and weight management.

2,026 customers mention "Information quality"1,952 positive74 negative

Customers find the book very informative and well-researched, making a lot of sense and being life-changing.

"I really enjoyed this read. Very informative. Will start putting it to practice and come back with an update! Very excited!" Read more

"...This book is easy to read and understand, is very informative, and it works!..." Read more

"Excellent book. Great information, easy to read, and recommendations were very easy to implement. Have recommended it to all of my friends!" Read more

"...actionable strategies for controlling insulin levels that are both informative and empowering...." Read more

1,313 customers mention "Readability"1,254 positive59 negative

Customers find the book interesting and worth reading.

"...Intermittent fasting has been very beneficial to me. Great book! Highly recommend it." Read more

"Excellent book. Great information, easy to read, and recommendations were very easy to implement. Have recommended it to all of my friends!" Read more

"...Great read. A quick synopsis...people are eating too often !!..." Read more

"...There are other tips besides fasting in here too. It's really a great book and an easy read and I recommend it very highly...." Read more

825 customers mention "Ease of understanding"786 positive39 negative

Customers find the book easy to understand, with clear explanations and straightforward information that even laypeople can grasp.

"...It is easy to understand, easy to implement, and requires no special training...." Read more

"...HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Thank you Jason for this wonderful, easy to read and understand book that not only removes quite a lot of the blame we..." Read more

"Amazing and well written. This is a book easy to read, so well informed, and cites for all studies and findings...." Read more

"Well written and informative but Dr. Jason Fung calls out insulin as the main villain of the rise in obesity, of which I am not convinced although..." Read more

587 customers mention "Weight loss"569 positive18 negative

Customers report significant weight loss success with this book, losing between 12 and 26 pounds of fat.

"...For now, I am losing weight. First week 9 pounds, second week 5 pounds." Read more

"This book is truth to better health and weight loss. If people are focused on just weight loss, that will come with so many more benefits!..." Read more

"...You can actually lose weight just by managing your feeding schedule, even without modifying WHAT you eat...." Read more

"...or obese, this book offers a new hope for better health and permanent weight loss, using methods that (unlike the Food Pyramid) are backed by solid..." Read more

281 customers mention "Health"253 positive28 negative

Customers report positive health outcomes from reading the book, noting improvements in their health journeys and the benefits of eating healthier. One customer specifically mentions gaining valuable information about their body and overall well-being.

"...He’s the best, believe me. You’ll walk away smarter, healthier, and probably annoying everyone around you with phrases like ‘hormonal balance’ and ‘..." Read more

"...He gives practical advice on how to lose weight and be healthy...." Read more

"...US in the past 30-40 years, and how to manage your weight, fitness, health, well-being and happiness by eating the right things at the right times..." Read more

"...well-laid out, readable/understandable/accessible book on the body, hormones and weight loss mechanisms I have ever read...." Read more

216 customers mention "Eye-opening"216 positive0 negative

Customers find the book eye-opening and compelling, describing it as thought-provoking and meaningful.

"Interesting and well researched...." Read more

"...He has the perfect mix of snark and science that it was not only interesting and educational but also fun to read...." Read more

"I found this book to be a real eye opener and honestly could not put it down...." Read more

"...n't evaluate the contents of the book, but having read it, I find it compelling. If anything, Dr. Fung may go overboard in trying to prove his point...." Read more

201 customers mention "Fasting"184 positive17 negative

Customers appreciate the fasting content in the book, which includes various intermittent fasting methods and explains how it helps reduce insulin resistance, with one customer noting it's sustainable in the long term.

"...this book makes a compelling argument for full fat dairy, intermittent fasting and an end to snacking...." Read more

"...The code to Diabetes and The Complete Guide to Fasting. These three books are the best investments that I have made for my health in my whole life...." Read more

"Great read about food, weight loss, fasting, obesity and hormones. Very informative and transparent! Very helpful information for my health journey!" Read more

"...from this book and I can tell you from personal experience: Intermittent fasting and reduction of carbohydrates/sugar is the CURE for obesity and..." Read more

148 customers mention "Effectiveness"122 positive26 negative

Customers find the book's approach effective, with multiple customers reporting that it worked well for them and explaining how it functions scientifically.

"...or structure, yet introducing fasting to my diet was rewarding and effective so I just kept doing it...." Read more

"...This book is easy to read and understand, is very informative, and it works!..." Read more

"Go to the back fourth of thebook. This works, not a diet, easy to understand. I have lost 11 pounds in three weeks. The working is in the details...." Read more

"Great Intro to fasting and why it works. It gave a great foundation...." Read more

Immediate Results - my doctor won't see me now
5 out of 5 stars
Immediate Results - my doctor won't see me now
I have so much to say that I don't know where to begin. I am new and just started the fasting. I saw improved results almost immediately. I am taking two shots a day-- victoza and lantus. I hate both of them. I will admit I have not been a great patient with the meds -- metformin not a problem but the shots are. Along came Dr. Fung's book. In two weeks, I noticed results immediately. I had not seen my endocrinologist in 6 months. (They are hard to find where I live and I had to cancel one appt. and it took 3 more months to get another.) I was thrilled to start Dr. Fung's Intermittent fasting and thought my specialist would have to agree. She didn't. In fact, she discharged me from her care yesterday. In spite of the good results and cutting my insulin in half over the last two weeks, she wrote a discharge letter to my primary care doctor stating that I am non compliant. She even quoted me in the letter, when I told her about the fasting idea/concept. I had printed off several copies of interviews with Dr. Fung. She didn't look at them. She will no longer treat me. Why? Because I mentioned IF therapy. Prior to starting with the fasting my numbers were in the 300s with no medication. I started the fasting and am using half of my meds, and I so pleased about that. I just thought she would share my enthusiasm. Instead, all I got was the " I follow the guidelines of the ADA". I am just so frustrated - Her last words were "Lantus is your friend. Do not make it your enemy". I explained that I cannot lose weight on it and that I dislike the 2 shots a day I am taking and that it is keeping me fat. She didn't want to hear it. So in closing, I will have to go about this on my own and manage my diabetes through the book and without her help. We live in an area where there are so few specialists for diabetes and it takes a long long time to get an appt. Now she has written me off as if I am a bad patient not following orders. I feel like Elaine on Seinfeld- remember that one? The doctors all wrote each other notes about her bad behaviour. Wish I could be treated by Dr. Fung. Any advice?
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I am a PA with decades of experience with diabetes and it's ill effects. I have watched through my career, type 2 diabetics listen to medical advice and never get any better. When my daughter, who was a gestational diabetic with her first pregnancy had a fasting blood glucose of 288 mg/dl, it became personal for me. They gave her the usual Metformin script and sent her on her way. Knowing that these meds do nothing to cure the disease and that it would only head her to a life on insulin and further weight gain I asked her not to take the meds, stop all carbs for the moment and let me do some research. That was when I came across Dr. Fung's lectures on the internet. As someone who has been studying holistic medicine for 30 years it made complete sense to me.
    What makes this book and his lectures so valuable, is that he approaches everything from a medical model and shows why modern medicine is getting it all wrong.
    He explains the process of glucose metabolism in a way I feel most lay people can understand. It's important for every overweight or type 2 diabetic to understand this process to better understand what they have been doing to their bodies...and unfortunately what we in medicine have been doing to their bodies.
    What was most valuable to me was him quoting studies that are considered standards in the field of medicine...not studies on rats or studies that have 15 subjects...but studies conducted over years with thousands of participants...like the Frammingham study or the NHANES study. I had seen these studies in the most prestigious medical journals like JAMA...funny how some of the aspects of the studies that he cites just weren't included or stressed in the outcomes.
    After going over all the metabolism...the studies on why reducing calories and increasing exercise just doesn't work...he presents a series of plans to reverse (yes I said reverse) type 2 diabetes. There are several options and one is bound to be workable for most people.
    My daughter has a hectic schedule and always complained about diets that required 3 or more meals a day...she doesn't like to eat breakfast and has no time to schedule multiple meals. The four hour intermittent fasting plan worked great for her. After an initial adjustment of about 2 days (headaches which were not relieved by increasing her sodium, my guess was sugar withdrawl), she had no hunger, no cravings and felt great. Within a week her blood sugar was normal. She started this right before the holidays and was concerned about missing holiday dinners...my answer was that of Dr. Fung's: have your dinner, enjoy it and get back on track the next day. She did just that and got through the holidays effortless and satisfied that she wasn't deprived of a thing. She remained on her fasting protocol and just had her meal within that time frame. Her blood glucose was higher the next morning but normalized after one day. She chooses now to have one "cheat meal" each week and for 4 weeks the next morning her blood sugar was higher...but got lower each week and after 4 weeks her morning after a cheat meal her blood glucose was normal!
    Within 10 weeks she has lost 46 pounds and is thrilled with her progress. Her doctor is shocked and initially thought the diet was nuts but now wants to know more about it...hence why I ordered 3 copies of this book...perfect for the medical mind.
    This diet is basically a ketogenic diet on steroids...great for so many ailments and used by many cancer patients.
    I started on the diet myself and found similar results with the exception of my cheat day...maybe because of my age, I do not get into ketoses for days after my cheat day which slows down my weight loss. I have still managed to lose 16 pounds in 3 weeks effortlessly with the exception of the 2 day sugar hangover like my daughter experienced. I have since found a product that will put you into ketoses in a day, but it is very expensive and the taste is...not so great. I use it once a week and it allows me to have that cheat meal once a week without sacrificing my progress.
    My guess it that Dr. Fung will become villified for several reasons:
    1. His plan works without medicine
    2. The drug companies will lose a tremendous amount of money
    3. No special foods or supplements to buy
    4. No added expenses...in fact my food bills are much lower.
    5. He exposes the fact that this information has been available to the medical community for a long time and no one has acted on it.
    I highly recommend this book and highly recommend you read through all the facts and figures he goes over...it makes managing your weight and your diabetes much easier over your lifetime without much thought once you know how your body reacts to food.
    I also recommend getting an extra copy for your doctor because they will surely think you are nuts when you tell them what you are doing.
    I will be eternally grateful to Dr. Fung for giving me the tools to cure my daughter and better serve my patients.
    UPDATE: My daughter continues to do well with blood sugars that remain normal, her biggest complaint is that she has to keep buying new clothes. She has found her weight has stalled and after some investigation I realized why...she had been taking MCT oil, about 3 tablespoons a day in pill form (she doesn't eat breakfast and doesn't like the taste of coconut) and she stopped it at the same time her weight loss halted. MCT oil...and there are several like coconut and hazelnut, stay liquid at room temperature. They can be added to food like coffee or smoothies, even salads. I found that I can get back into ketosis at warp speed when I started using it. Amazon has several brands here and I like the 32 ounce Viva labs coconut MCT. I found that although the craving weren't horrible, I missed my sweets. There is a new book from Martina Slajervoa called "Fat Bombs" that I highly recommend. Tons of sweet treats that are keto friendly. I will say I hate stevia and it's aftertaste, but found Swerve to be a great substitute. I will also warn you that if you don't use MCT oil in many of the recipes and sub coconut oil in it's more solid form, the results are not nearly as good. The chocolate hazelnut smoothie does it for me...sometimes I sub ice for all the water and I get a soft serve like ice cream that tastes like I'm cheating. The MCT oil helps me get right back into ketosis after my cheat days without buying that expensive, horrible tasting powered drink I was using. She also has a book on ketogenic recipes in general that I found very helpful as she has many dinner recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. I have taken my blood sugar both before and an hour after eating these "Fat Bomb" treats, (I'm not diabetic) and my blood sugar stayed the same or went lower...that was using the Swerve, which is expensive but worth it and a bit cheaper if bought in the 3 pack as I do.
    4,424 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2016
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Life changer. Im not much of a "book" reader. Do most of my reading online. But i must say, i really really enjoyed this book. I pick it up and reread it again and again. A dose of humility and humor in this book, with focus on plenty of studies that are not backed by BIG FOOD COMPANIES. Great read. A quick synopsis...people are eating too often !! Almost 180 deg opposite of what the government weight loss experts started telling us in the 1970'a (frequent meals/snacking, low fat, high carb). We had very little obesity before the 1970's in America (no snacking, whole foods, less processed carbs and sugars, more time between ingesting calories...resulting in low insulin resistance). The establishment has taught and is teaching us to focus WAY too much on WHAT (calorie counting) to eat instead of timing we are eating, which is equally as important. Eat less/Move more is a 98% failure. The establishment tells us to eat moderate to high carb, low fat, eat more often, NEVER skip breakfast,and eat 5-6 times per day. We are told we are sloths and gluttons if calories in/calories out paradigm doesn't work, because it should have worked if we were stronger human beings. Only problem is, we cannot beat our hormones in the long term. Yes, what you eat is important (not eating refined carbs, added sugars, artificial sweeteners, frequent eating highly refined snack foods, and the dreaded high amounts of long term fructose fatty liver damage), Obesity is a HORMONE PROBLEM. Our insulin and cortisol levels are the two key players that determine whether we gain weight or loose weight. Exercise is very important, but do not exercise to loose weight loss or even maintain weight. Exercise for stress/sleep management, cardiovascular health, bone density, depression management, etc.. But many people who exercise every day, don't see the permanent and ideal weight loss they are looking for, if meal timing is not insulin friendly. Give insulin to a non-diabetic or a diabetic, even with calorie reduction and exercise, and they still gain weight. Sleep, daily intermittent fasting/fast 24 hours 2-3 times per week, eating whole foods...keeps the weight off. Calorie reduction diets do not create permanent weight loss due to the body compensating like a thermostat...you cut calories, you body compensates by lowering the amount of calories it burns. Increase calories, and your body ramps up to burn the extra calories. Calorie reduction diets lead to our body plateauing, we start feeling like crap and we think its all our fault...its what our body does...we get cold, metabolism slows, hunger hormones increase, and we rebound to overeat. Insulin sensitivity needs to increase. Persistent AND high levels of insulin create insulin resistance. Just as high and persistant antibiotic and narcotic use increases resistance, so does persistent and high insulin levels create insulin resistance. We need to have low insulin resistance and glucose levels low as possible in our bloodstream for a majority of our life in order to make our body cells more interested in accepting insulin and burning our body's fat stores. We are meant to eat hearty meals with "natural" and "human" carbohydrates, but not snack all day in order to keep the weight off. I have been skipping breakfast all together, eat good size lower carb lunch, and then big dinner at 6pm and not eat again until lunch the next day. Cut out all snacking. Cultures with long life FAST in some manner....period. Whether they eat once or twice per day, or not eat snacks, or fast for 24 hours frequently. Cultures with low obesity NEVER eat small frequent meals. Cultures with low obesity eat whole foods. Gets easier and easier. I love to eat. I love to eat bread, rice, sweet potatoes, meat. Lets do this ! Many studies and Fung's patient's in his practice in this book to back up viewpoint. He eats more frequently on the weekend with his family. He eats dinner pretty much every night with his family. He skips meals mon-fri when he is busy. His eating schedule fits his lifestyle, and encourages readers to eat or don't eat on a schedule that works for them. He eludes to "feasting" one or two fasting one or two days a week to remind the body that it is in fact not starving. Eludes to the possibility of even needing to fast 3-4 days initially or occasionally to get your body the message that you are not going to get food all the time. Yes, the first few times fasting will be difficult. It will get easier. Some willpower is initially needed. Transitioning from a keto-friendly low carb diet to intermittent fasting lifestyle is easier for most people. Billions of people have fasted for thousands of years, and they survive...and in fact thrive. Fit fasting in your schedule and your family life and find the strategy that works for you. Intermittent fasting lifestyle is sustainable long term, and is a simple and inexpensive way to manage and maintain your weight and to encourage your body to use its own fat stores for energy production. Frequent eating is not healthy and does NOT RAISE METABOLISM. Skipping breakfast will not harm you or slow your metabolism. Avoid artificial sweeteners (sucralose, asparteme, and yes...even the highly refined Stevia) as all have been shown to raise insulin levels by 20% and are at the very least not healthy...and people who use them do not usually loose weight. If somthing works for you long term (more than a year), stick with it. Almost ALL diets work in the short term, Dr Fung recognizes...it's keeping it off for more than a year and simplifying our lives with a simple lifestyle of incorporating fasting is the goal here.
    89 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Aravind
    5.0 out of 5 stars obesity code is a guide
    Reviewed in India on May 8, 2025
    The book clearly helps us to understand the multifactorial causes of obesity and to how to solve the issues regarding that and helps us to really have a knowledge about our own body and hormones. Great work is done by Dr. Jason Fung
  • freddie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Its all about hormones
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on May 14, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Very understable and a good read
  • Wesam
    5.0 out of 5 stars This book is an eye-opening truth about weight loss and gain
    Reviewed in Saudi Arabia on November 8, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I'm shocked by how brainwashed we have been, Dr Jason proves that obesity is NOT a caloric imbalance. It's a hormonal imbalance and it's a multifactorial disease. I recommend it!
  • Lector ecológico
    5.0 out of 5 stars Para una mejor salud mediante la dieta
    Reviewed in Spain on February 26, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Un libro excelente sobre la comida y la dieta. Explica las claves para una pérdida de peso segura y mejor salud a largo plazo.

    Basado en responder a dos preguntas:

    - Qué comer?
    - Cuándo comer?

    Las respuestas:

    - No comer alimentos industriales precocinados ni azúcar o hidratos de carbono refinados.
    - Hacer ayuno intermitente.
    Report
  • Paul M
    5.0 out of 5 stars wow.
    Reviewed in Canada on June 16, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Content of this book is a life changer.