The best 47 Weight Loss books

Why We Get Fat (2010) explains why certain types of carbohydrates are the main reason we get fat. The book not only shows why people gain weight, but why the topic is so controversial. It also talks about why some people get fat and others do not, the role genetic predispositions play in this process, and which foods we should all avoid. 

• Anyone who wants to lose or maintain their weight
• Anyone interested in finding out about the causes of being overweight

Eat to Live gives readers a comprehensive overview of human nutrition, a re-evaluation of conventional nutritional wisdom, personal case studies and a practical dietary program with lots of recommendations. The reader can expect to learn about a number of different nutritional studies as well as the health benefits and repercussions of basic foods such as meat, milk, fish, vegetables and fruits.

• Anyone interested in learning about the link between nutritional science, the modern diet and health
• Anyone looking for practical advice on losing weight and achieving optimal health

In Defense of Food is a close examination of the rise of nutritionism in our culture, and a historical account of the industrialization of food. An expert in food ecology, author Michael Pollan takes a look at the way in which the food industry shifted our dietary focus from “food” to “nutrients,” and thus narrowed the objective of eating to one of maintaining physical health – a goal it did not accomplish.

• Anyone concerned about his or her diet and health, and looking to improve them
• Anyone interested in the actual impact of nutritionism on our physical health
• Anyone seeking alternatives to the Western diet

Grain Brain (2013) outlines how what we eat can cause or mitigate serious brain disorders like anxiety, ADHD and depression. Eating well is crucial to your brain’s functioning well, and these blinks tell you why.

• People interested in nutrition
• Anyone who wants to keep their brain sharp and healthy
• Those who want to learn more about carbohydrates, sugar and gluten

The Bulletproof Diet (2014) shows you how to hack your body to optimize your health, lose weight and increase your mental functioning. How? Maintain a diet filled with the right proteins and fats, and learn to exercise and sleep in the most effective way possible.

• Anyone looking to lead a healthier lifestyle
• Dieters who like good food
• Burned out people who want to have more energy and better focus

The Paleo Manifesto (2013) is the go-to guide to going paleo. It explains why the Paleo diet is in sync with our ancestors’ diet, and how you can use humanity’s anthropological and evolutionary history to get fit, feel great and lead the healthy lifestyle you’ve always wanted to.

• Anybody looking for a sustainable, intelligent diet
• People tired of calorie-counting methods to lose weight
• Anyone interested in the history and development of the human diet

Always Hungry? (2016) explains the common misconceptions about health and weight loss. In it you’ll see what you’ve been doing wrong in the quest to lose weight, and importantly, explore how you can actually train your body to process fat without giving up real, delicious food.

• People looking to lose weight and feel healthier
• Nutritionists and lifestyle coaches

It Starts With Food (2012) gives you the inside scoop on the profound effects food can have on your body and well-being. Importantly, these blinks explain how you can alter your diet to both lose weight and feel better, body and soul.

• People interested in improving their overall health
• Dieters who have tried everything
• Busy executives seeking to eat more healthily

Why Diets Make Us Fat (2016) demolishes many popular myths about diets and the relationship between weight and health. These blinks explore the science behind claims that dieting just doesn’t work and offer alternatives for people seeking to shed a few pounds and live more healthily.

• Anyone struggling to lose weight
• People interested in the science behind eating healthily
• Individuals wanting to develop better eating habits

The Wild Diet (2015) is your guide to using the biology of fat-burning to lose weight. These blinks explain what makes high-intensity exercise, plant-based, protein-rich diets and hydration so effective, and provide you with health hacks that you can start applying right away.

• Anyone curious about the biology behind high-protein, low-carb diets and high-intensity exercise
• Busy parents and professionals looking for a practical weight-loss strategy
• People who want to improve their health and still fill up on delicious food

The Whole30 (2015) is a dietary program aimed at improving your health and general well-being. It’s based on the idea that, by cutting out certain harmful food groups and reintroducing others, you can find a diet that works for you.

• Nutritional therapists and health enthusiasts
• Anyone suffering from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure
• Cooks eager to experiment with healthier recipes

Genius Foods (2018) makes a simple but compelling point: what we eat today is starving our brains. Drawing on the most up-to-date scientific research, it connects the dots and shows just how our diets can affect our cognitive health. But this isn’t just an academic treatise – it’s an actionable plan that’ll put you on the path to greater mental agility, balance and a happier life while safeguarding yourself against dementia.

• Healthy eaters looking for data-driven nutritional advice
• Dieticians, nutritionists and food scientists
• Anyone looking to fine-tune their gray cells

As the title suggests, The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners (2016) is a helpful introduction to the low-carb, high-fat diet that can help you burn off unwanted pounds. It takes you on a step-by-step tour of what to expect as you “go keto” as well as what you can do to help make sure you stick to the new dietary lifestyle.

• Health-conscious people fed up with traditional diets
• Nutrition enthusiasts
• Anyone searching for a maintainable diet

The Obesity Code (2016) addresses the alarming global rise of obesity and asks what we can do to minimize the risks to our health. The best place to start, Jason Fung argues, is to clear up common misconceptions about the causes of obesity, beginning with the old saw that all dietary fats are to blame. That means taking a closer look at the latest evidence and addressing the true culprit: insulin resistance.

• Anyone looking to lose weight
• Doctors and nutritionists
• Food producers and consumers

What to Eat When (2018) shows how it’s not just what you eat, but when you eat that matters. This practical and fun guide dives deep into the science of eating to show you how you can enhance your health, energy and intellect through healthier eating habits. It provides a blueprint for eating right, all the time.

• People who fall prey to bad food choices in certain situations
• Pragmatists seeking a guide to healthy eating
• Those who’d like to understand the science behind nutrition

Wheat Belly (2011) explores the havoc that modern wheat products are wreaking upon our mental and physical health. It shines a light on how wheat usage has changed over the years, as well as how dramatically our diets have changed. The author, Dr. William Davis, draws upon the latest scientific research to advance the argument for excluding wheat from your diet once and for all. 

• Health-conscious people looking for a fresh perspective
• Anyone hoping to lose weight
• People looking to overhaul their lifestyle

How Not to Diet (2019) explores how a healthy, plant-based diet can achieve effective, healthy, and sustainable weight loss. It also explores why so many people are overweight and offers a clear and detailed guide for tackling the issue. There are no quick-fixes or fad diets here, just rigorous science-based advice you can trust.

• Dieters looking for a rigorous, evidence-based approach 
• Anyone who wants to live a long, healthy life
• People who’ve tried and failed to diet in the past

In Happy Fat (2019) Sofie Hagen reveals how painful it is to grow up fat in a society filled with prejudice and discrimination. She dispels entrenched myths about fatness, arguing that the correlation between being fat and being unhealthy has been misrepresented and that fatphobia – rather than fatness – is the dangerous social epidemic that we as a society need to challenge.  

• Comedy lovers who want to learn more about the life of a funny, fresh voice
• Fat activists looking for resources on how to deal with fatphobia
• People curious about the commercial interests that fuel the weight-loss industry

Keto Answers (2019), by Anthony Gustin and Chris Irvin, clears up all your questions about the ketogenic diet. As ketogenic eating has grown in popularity, so-called “expert advice” and misinformation about the keto diet has grown, too. Keto Answers cuts through the confusion, explaining the science behind keto and laying out the strategies you need to implement your own ketogenic eating plan successfully.

• Mindful eaters interested in keto who don’t quite know where to start
• Those who have tried keto and didn’t see the results they expected
• Health-conscious people who want to boost their energy, trim their waistlines, and sharpen their minds

The Metabolism Reset Diet (2019) is the new, four-week cleanse diet designed to heal damage to your liver, stimulate your metabolism, and promote rapid weight-loss. These blinks explain the science behind the program by taking a deep dive into the mysterious life of your liver. They show why your liver is so important for your health, how it can become overloaded with fat, and the simple steps you can take to clean and restore your liver to optimal health.

• Dieters who want to escape the endless cycle of dieting
• Middle-aged people who want to reverse the trend of weight gain and low energy
• Anyone who wants to lose weight and improve their health

Body by Science (2009) is a comprehensive guide to building muscle. This handbook is driven by data, and it offers a scientifically proven approach to sculpting a fitter, firmer body. All you’ll need is a few minutes a week.

• Fitness buffs looking to optimize their routine
• Couch potatoes eager to amp up their physical activity
• Anyone curious about the science of building up muscle

Fast. Feast. Repeat. (2020) takes readers on a whistle-stop tour of the theory and practice of intermittent fasting. Drawing on cutting-edge research and immersion in the culture of the fasting community, Fast. Feast. Repeat. lays out the whys and hows of fasting in gripping detail.

• Serial dieters trying to lose weight for good
• Amateur nutritionists interested in human health
• Skeptics who think fasting is just another fad

Fast This Way (2021) is not just another book touting the benefits of fasting. Instead, it uses the most up-to-date science and the author’s years of experience to outline exactly how to sustainably fast for a long and healthy life.

• People struggling with diet-related health problems
• Aspiring biohackers
• Anyone looking to up their self-discipline game

Burn (2021) shines a light on the science behind metabolism – the way our bodies burn energy. Packed with memorable insights and facts, it draws on the latest metabolic research and delves into the evolutionary history of the human body. 

• Gym members wondering why they aren’t shifting more weight
• Would-be dieters unsure of which nutritional plan to follow
• Natural history buffs

Fast Burn (2021) is a dieting guide that aims for actual results. This handbook lays out a revolutionary approach to intermittent fasting that puts your body in gear to lose weight fast.

• Fitness enthusiasts aiming to train their bodies
• Despondent dieters ready for actual results
• Anyone curious about intermittent fasting

Feel Great Lose Weight (2020) isn’t just another diet book of quick fixes and fads. Drawing on Dr. Rangan Chatterjee’s expertise, it gives you the tools to be the mechanic of your own health, showing you how to fine-tune your eating habits and lifestyle to lose weight sustainably and feel great for the long term.

• Fad-diet skeptics
• Anyone who wants to understand the science of weight loss
• People seeking a judgment-free, sustainable approach to improving health

Clean(ish) (2022) is a guide to living a life that’s free from the pesticides and other toxins in our food and environment. Through anecdotes, tips, and exercises, it gently and compassionately lays out a road map to a cleaner lifestyle.

• Health-conscious individuals interested in living a cleaner lifestyle
• People looking to get stronger or lose weight
• Anyone who wants to reduce toxicity in their life

The Shift (2021) breaks down how to achieve weight loss by shifting your mindset. By changing the way you think about yourself and your body, you can set into motion incredible changes that can alter not just your body, but also your sense of self, happiness, and self-worth.

• Weight-loss seekers
• People who want to improve their self-esteem
• Supporters of a loved one who wants to lose weight

Eat It! (2022) offers a sensible, fact-based and reassuring weight-loss program for those of us who are tired of chasing the latest diet trends. You’ll find sound advice and a guilt-free approach to shedding pounds and eating sensibly.

• Anyone trying to lose weight
• People who’d like a healthier relationship with food
• Health-conscious individuals

“You Just Need to Lose Weight” (2023) takes a deep dive into some of society’s most harmful myths about fat people. By revealing the facts behind these common misconceptions, Aubrey Gordon gives readers the tools to analyze their own internal biases, combat anti-fat discrimination, and support the goal of social acceptance for people of all sizes.

• Anyone who wants to learn about the myths surrounding fatness
• People interested in confronting anti-fat bias and discrimination
• Supporters of fat activism

Juicing for Beginners (2013) is a comprehensive guidebook that tells you everything you need to know to get started on juicing. It covers the basics of juicing, from its health benefits and machine types, to different beginner-friendly recipes to try. 

• Those new to juicing
• People seeking to lose weight
• Anyone looking to live a healthier lifestyle

The Galveston Diet (2023) is a science-backed diet program for women experiencing perimenopause or menopause symptoms. With a focus on science-backed approaches, this diet program includes a special meal plan designed for six weeks and a variety of healthy, delicious recipes. It is designed to help women in midlife improve their overall health and wellness while managing the challenges that come with this stage of life.

• Women in their mid-30s and up
• People who want to shed some pounds
• Fitness enthusiasts looking to maintain their weight

Eat to Beat Your Diet (2023) is a science-backed guide to healthy weight loss and disease-free living. It reveals surprising links between fat, metabolism, and certain nutrients, showing that eating more of the most beneficial foods is actually the path to increased health and happiness.

• Those who want to lose weight
• People looking to stave off chronic disease naturally 
• Health-conscious foodies

Fast Like a Girl (2022) empowers women to craft a fasting lifestyle based on their own personal hormone cycle. Learn how to harness your natural power by making fasting work with your body rather than against it.

• Women looking to get in touch with their hormones and cycle
• Anyone who wants to harness their body’s natural power
• People searching for a healthier way of eating

Fiber Fueled (2020) introduces you to your gut microbiome and its importance for your health. It explains how you can keep your microbiome healthy by eating a wide variety of plants.

• Junk-food junkies looking for a way out
• Weight-conscious folks searching for something that really works
• Gut microbes that need to train their human to eat healthily

The Circadian Code (2018) presents a fascinating look at the science of circadian rhythms – how human biology is timed in daily cycles. It reveals how small tweaks in things like the timing of meals, exercise, or light exposure can have an outsized impact on health and well-being.

• Frustrated dieters looking for a breakthrough
• Anyone looking for better sleep or more energy when they’re awake
• Health optimizers looking for simple daily habits than can maximize well-being

Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Emotional Eating (2019) guides compulsive eaters past the mental traps that lead to overindulgence. It applies the "Easyway" method which has already helped millions quit smoking and expands on it to uncover the psychological roots of our unhealthy impulses, freeing us to rediscover balanced eating habits.

• Emotional eaters looking to quit
• Individuals skeptical about willpower-based methods
• Anyone looking to adopt healthier eating habits

On This Bright Day (2023) is a vital tool for anyone who is on the Bright Lines Eating path. For each and every day of the year, it offers advice and encouragement for those who are working the program and doing their best to keep temptations and negativity at bay. 

• People interested in a long-term weight loss program
• Anyone struggling with food addiction
• Overeaters looking for help

28-Day FAST Start Day-By-Day (2023) offers an original intermittent fasting program for forming lasting habits, even after prior lapses. Simple daily check-ins build self-awareness and resilience as readers discover renewed health over 28 days of time-restricted eating.

• Anyone seeking sustainable weight loss and improved metabolic health
• People looking to boost energy, mental clarity, and general wellbeing
• Individuals who've tried fasting before but struggled to stick with it

Zero Sugar / One Month (2024) is a roadmap aimed at helping individuals eliminate sugar from their diet to achieve long-term health. It provides actionable advice, including guides on what to eat, how to resist temptation, and a day-by-day timeline of what to expect – along with motivational anecdotes and tips to navigate emotional challenges and build confidence throughout the 30-day journey. 

• Individuals looking to reduce their sugar intake for weight loss or health reasons 
• Health-conscious folks seeking a structured, time-bound nutrition challenge 
• Anyone curious about sugar’s impact on their health and well-being

The Hunger Habit (2024) explores the psychological aspects of why we eat beyond our basic energy needs. Delving into how emotional hunger leads to unhealthy eating habits, it offers mindfulness strategies to manage cravings and develop a healthier relationship with food.

• Individuals struggling with emotional and habitual eating
• Mindfulness practitioners seeking dietary behavior change
• Health enthusiasts skeptical of fad diets

Women, Food, and Hormones (2021) explores the intricate relationship among diet, hormonal balance, and women’s health. It delves into how specific foods can influence hormone levels, providing a science-backed protocol for hormonal balance, losing weight, and feeling more energetic. 

• Women experiencing hormonal imbalances or menopausal symptoms
• Health professionals specializing in women’s health and nutrition
• Anyone interested in holistic approaches to diet and health

More, Please (2024) invites you to explore the impact of maternal influences and societal pressures on body image and self-worth. Through a blend of personal narrative, journalism, and expert insights, it delves into the complexities of binge-eating disorder and the challenges of navigating diet culture – and encourages a compassionate approach to understanding and improving your relationship with food and body image.

• Individuals with eating disorders
• Anyone interested in body positivity 
• Parents, guardians, and teachers

Magic Pill (2024) examines the revolutionary impact of new weight loss drugs like Ozempic, analyzing both their advantages and potential risks. Delving into society’s problematic relationship with food, body image, and enjoyment, it highlights the significant changes – good and bad – that these drugs could bring to our world.

• Individuals exploring pharmaceutical solutions to obesity
• Skeptics of over-medicalization in healthcare
• Readers interested in societal impacts of weight loss drugs

Diet, Drugs, and Dopamine (2025) methodically deconstructs the harmful ideas that obesity is a personal failing and that weight loss is a matter of willpower. It offers an up-to-date precis of how science understands weight loss, touching on neuroscience and nutrition, and a thorough analysis of how the latest GLP-1 weight loss drugs can be folded into a holistic weight management approach.

• Obese and overweight people who want to understand their body's biology
• Health-care professionals who want a scientific grounding in how weight loss works
• Anyone considering GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic or Mounjaro for weight management

Weightless (2026) argues that while GLP-1 medications have revolutionized obesity treatment, patients often receive prescriptions without the essential guidance needed to achieve and sustain results. This comprehensive guide, covering everything from selecting the right medication and understanding how it changes hunger signals to adopting crucial lifestyle changes like increased protein intake and strength training, fills that gap. 

• People considering GLP-1 therapy
• People currently on GLP-1 therapy
• Anyone who’s ever struggled with their weight

Off the Scales (2026) explores the decades-long global race to create a long-lasting version of the GLP-1 drug semaglutide to help fight the growing diabetes and obesity epidemics. Presenting all sides of the story, from the fraught scientific competition to be the first to bring these drugs to market, to the side effects rippling through global societies, it uncovers.

• People who are interested in the medical breakthroughs changing society
• Curious minds seeking the inside story on the science behind the headlines
• Anyone who has struggled with weight, Type 2 diabetes, or is considering treatment with a semaglutide medication