…And the Answer, Please.

Friday, February 16, 2007 15:08
Posted in category Fat Loss, Nutrition

Thanks to all who participated in my little surprise quiz.

I’m actually shocked that my wife didn’t get the answer, given the sheer volume of Iron Chef episodes we’ve seen. Oh well.

The answer is…

A black screen with the quote, “Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you what you are.” by the French gastronome, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.

The bonus points would have come from knowing who Brillat-Savarin was. Besides being an 18th century gastronome, Brillat-Savarin practiced as a lawyer, but is probably best known (known?) for his book The Physiology of Taste (which can conveniently be accessed right here). In addition to being an interesting and hilarious read, it is notable in that Brillat-Savarin preached the virtues of a low-carb diet in the prevention and treatment of obesity.

Allow me to share with you a selection of my favorite passages from this tome (*ahem) :

“Obesity is that state of greasy congestion in which without the sufferer being sick, the limbs gradually increase in volume, and lose their form and harmony.”

As we can see, Brillat-Savarin is not keen on obesity.

“Greasy corpulence always has, as its first cause, a diet with too much farinacious or feculent substance. I am sure the same regime will always have the same effect. Carniverous animals never become fat. One has only to look at the wolf, jackal, lion, eagle, etc.” “…The fecula is more prompt in its action when it is mingled with sugar. Sugar and grease are alike in containing large quantities of hydrogen, and are both inflammable. This combination is the more powerful, from the fact that it flatters the taste, and that we never eat sweet things until the appetite is already satisfied, so that we are forced to court the luxury of eating by every refinement of temptation.”

These selections are notable in that Brillat-Savarin observes that it is the combination of feculent and farinacious (read: starchy) foods with sugar that is the primary cause (remember, he said first cause) of obesity. In fact, he clarifies his position later on by saying:

“The last cause of obesity is excess of eating and drinking.”

Whoa. Interesting observations - although I think his law school needs a better biochemistry course:)

“Obesity has a lamentable influence on the two sexes, inasmuch as it is most injurious to strength and beauty. It lessens strength because it increases the weight to be moved, while the motive power is unchanged. It injures respiration, and makes all labor requiring prolonged muscular power impossible. Obesity destroys beauty by annihilating the harmony of primitive proportions, for all the limbs do not proportionately fatten. It destroys beauty by filling up cavities nature’s hand itself designed.

Nothing is so common as to see faces, once very interesting, made common–place by obesity.”

Ah, wordsmiths in the 17 and 1800s had so much more…flavor. But Brillat-Savarin outdoes himself with this, by far my favorite passage from the book:

“But my readers of both sexes will exclaim, “Oh my God, how cruel the professor is. He has at once prescribed all we like, the white rolls of Limet, the biscuit of Achard. the cakes of … and all the good things made with sugar, eggs, and farina. He will spare neither potatoes nor macaroni. Who would have expected it from a man fond of everything good?”

“What is that?” said I, putting on my stern look which I call up but once a year. “Well, eat and grow fat, become ugly, asthmatic and die of melted fat. I will make a note of your case and you shall figure in my second edition. Ah! I see, one phrase has overcome you, and you beg me to suspend the thunderbolt. Be easy, I will prescribe your diet and prove how much pleasure is in the grasp of one who lives to eat.”

Man - I need a nutritionist like that to refer clients to! Although I suspect he’d not stay in business too long.

Well, now you know the answer. Have a great day, and hey, lay off the fecula, will ya?

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