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What evolution reveals about eating, dieting and fat

NPR / WHYY· Aug 17, 2026· 45m 40s

When you’re dieting to lose weight, human evolution is often working against you. We’ll talk about why with Daniel Lieberman, author of Fed Up and founder of Harvard’s Department of Evolutionary Biology. He spoke with Terry Gross about diets he’s tested, and the often contradictory information about what’s healthy to eat and what’s not. Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Etna , a novel that looks at war through the narration of a dog. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter Follow us on

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What evolution reveals about eating, dieting and fat

🇬🇧English🇬🇧English
Sample transcript — click Live captions above to run Whisper on the actual audio in your browser.
  1. Welcome to the program. I'm your host.

    Welcome to the program. I'm your host.

    0:00
  2. Today we look at the major stories shaping the news cycle.

    Today we look at the major stories shaping the news cycle.

    0:04
  3. We start in Europe, where leaders met in Brussels.

    We start in Europe, where leaders met in Brussels.

    0:09
  4. The summit focused on energy policy and migration.

    The summit focused on energy policy and migration.

    0:14
  5. Reporting from the ground, our correspondent has more.

    Reporting from the ground, our correspondent has more.

    0:19
  6. Thank you. The mood here was tense but constructive.

    Thank you. The mood here was tense but constructive.

    0:24