Taking Back Control of Your Life

Life is About Choices

control is when you make them

Speaking Topics

Life is the sum of all our choices

I speak on topics related to decision-making in the most important area of our lives: health, business and career. By understanding human behaviour and the basic operating system of the human mind, we can learn to make life’s most important choices with conviction.

How to Make any Critical Decision with 100% Certainty

The more you know how your mind really works, the greater the range of what you can control.

When it comes to critical decisions, there’s no such thing as a no-brainer. Every major decision is fraught with misperceptions, biases and tricks of the mind that profoundly influence our choices.

As leaders not only must we understand how our own behaviors and biases impact our decisions, but also the people we work with. How well are they equipped to carry out the organization’s decisions?

Most people think they won’t know if they made a good decision until they see the outcome, but that is NOT decision-making; that is hoping, gambling, and wishful thinking, which is how most people and organizations make decisions.

Making any critical decision with certainty – means knowing it’s a good decision before seeing the outcome. To do that, we need two things:

  1. A basic understanding of how the human mind really works, and 
  2. A decision-making process

Nobody would think of operating a car without learning how to drive it, yet we make crucial decisions; we operate the critical machinery of the human mind without ever taking the time to learn how it actually works.

In this interactive presentation, we explore how the human mind really works (it’s NOT how you think it does) because when you know how it operates, you will see the world from a very different perspective.

I used to think I was the exception to making irrational cognitive errors because I always felt right about my choices and beliefs. But after a series of disastrous business decisions, I was determined to learn if these outcomes were due to the unpredictability of life or if they were squarely on me.

This talk answers those questions and far more.

I will show how anyone can learn to make a critical decision with certainty—free of the false confidence of biases and assumptions. When that happens, we have conviction – not just in the decision but in its execution.

Whatever else it produces, an organization is a factory that manufactures judgments and decisions. Every factory must have ways to ensure the quality of its products.   ~ Daniel Kahneman, noble laureate

How to Maximize Your Health in an Ultra-Processed, Obesogenic World

Without a healthy brain, little else is worthwhile, and without brain health, there is no health.

Health is the essence of everything. We need good health to have energy.

Being a leader and part of a team means facing challenges, meeting goals and much more! All this requires ENERGY! 

Today, 75% of the population is overweight, and 93% are metabolically unhealthy.

I always thought I could tell if someone was obese just by looking at them. YOU CAN’T!

Obesity is insidious, which is why millions of people are suffering the effects of obesity – physically and cognitively – only they don’t know it.

Everywhere we turn we’re being badgered – and conditioned – by big industry’s incessant marketing.

  • The weight-loss industry peddles special foods and diets.
  • Big food says if we move more, we can eat whatever we want… and they happen to have what we want!
  • Big pharma says obesity is a disease that we need to fight with their supplements and drugs.

Nonetheless, year after year, we get fatter and sicker because none of their “solutions” address obesity’s root cause, which I can sum up in one word: malnutrition.

Our modern diet of high-calorie, low-fibre, ultra-processed, nutrient-void food is the only possible diet that can result in the absurd paradox of being overfed and undernourished; at the cellular level, we’re virtually starving.

Eleven years ago, I was suffering from obesity, lethargy, fatigue, and lack of focus. I thought it was part of middle age.

After discovering obesity’s true cause, I transformed my health without drugs or diets. Today, at 66, I’m healthy, lean and in the best physical and mental shape of my life.

We CAN transform our health with one simple choice. I will leave your audience with an indelible desire and a simple way to make that choice.

About Me

I am a speaker, author, and entrepreneur. 

As an author, I wrote

The Challenge of Choice … how to make a “good” decision when It REALLY matters!

See below for book details

OBESITY … it’s NOT what YOU THINK it is!

See below for book details

As an experienced speaker, I will ensure …

A great audience experience. I’ve presented to audiences in many settings and contexts. As a presenter, I use stories, examples, and handouts to not only make a point but also keep your audience engaged and listening. They will leave with practical, applicable next steps to take with them.

A great hiring experience. I know that choosing a speaker can be a stressful task because of all the unknowns. As a speaker I strive to eliminate any surprises to ensure the presentation is well received not only by the audience but by the planner as well

Speaking Demo

Testamonials

If you would like to inquire about me speaking to your organization or event, let’s begin a conversation to see if I can help.

Email: richard@richardfast.com

Speaker’s Books

The Challenge of Choice … how to make a “good” decision when it REALLY matters!

The choices and decisions we make will ultimately define our lives and the level of happiness and success we will enjoy.

However, most people have no idea how the human mind really works, so their most important decisions are often left to chance and the unpredictability of life.

But the truth is that we can make any critical decision with 100% certainty. That means knowing we’ve made a good decision before we see the outcome—the most valuable skill that any of us can acquire.

Editorial Book Reviews

This is a well-written, sharply focused book that will spur readers to question their own decision-making processes. Snazzy quizzes for rating one’s decision-making acumen are included, and there’s a colorful seven-step flowchart for aiding in making the right choice. For people in the business world and beyond, this compelling book could be a real game-changer.

The Challenge of Choice … how to make a “good” decision when it REALLY matters!

Richard Fast  – 29 Days Inc., 215 pages, (paperback) $24, 978-0-9879193-6-6      (Reviewed September 2023)

Humans are bad at making good decisions, notes Richard Fast, creator of the board game “MindTrap” and author of Obesity. In this cohesive guide, he explains why and offers strategies for self-improvement.

Fast, who is also a certified trainer, wellness and weight-loss coach, cites numerous cognitive studies showing how humans often make decisions based on visual misperceptions, personal biases, and other “hidden traps.” In a 2001 experiment, a researcher in France tricked 54 budding sommeliers into thinking they were drinking red wine, when it was white wine dyed red.

“All living organisms …selectively adapt to a range of sensory perception” suited for their species’ survival, he writes, “and none “can perceive more than a tiny fraction of the known range of our physical universe.”

Too, the human brain is hard-wired for making quick and intuitive decisions, but in the modern world, Fast posits, this can result in sloppy critical thinking and bad judgment. He proposes numerous corrective measures: such as becoming more aware of “heuristics” or the mental shortcuts the brain often takes. He gives examples of people wrongly guided by “gut” feelings and emotions, and of others misled by “confirmation bias” who routinely ignore evidence that contradicts their beliefs. Fast stresses that decisions should be based on sound reasoning and clear logic. He urges readers to “be wary of what you ‘know’ to be true.”

This is a well-written, sharply focused book that will spur readers to question their own decision-making processes. Many case studies are taken from the financial and business sectors, suggesting this book is aimed at CEOs and entrepreneurs, though in a charming aside, Fast promises couples who make it a goal to become better decision makers, will improve their marriage.

Snazzy quizzes for rating one’s decision-making acumen are included, and there’s a colorful seven-step flowchart for aiding in making the right choice. For people in the business world and beyond, this compelling book could be a real game-changer.

Also available as an ebook and audio book

In these energetically written pages Fast dissects a wide variety of cognitive tendencies. He’s excellent at clarifying these concepts, using examples from history and current events to illuminate how people hinder their own decision-making abilities. Readers are sure to see themselves in some of Fast’s examples and will likely learn a lot from them. A fast-paced, thought-provoking behavioral blueprint.

THE CHALLENGE OF CHOICE…how to make a “good” decision when it REALLY matters!

Richard Fast

  • $24.38 paperback
  • ISBN: 9780987919366
  • August 15, 2023

BOOK REVIEW

Health and wellness coach Fast presents a systematic look at how and why people make decisions.

“We tend to think of successful people as being somewhat lucky—and luck is always a factor in a successful outcome,” writes the author in his latest book, “however, a significant component of luck is simply the ability to make good decisions.”

Humans, he points out, are bombarded by millions of bits of information every second but can only consciously process about 40 of them. According to Fast, this ratio extends to decision-making, noting that “the actual number of life-changing decisions you make may be as few as 20 out of the many millions you make throughout your lifetime.”

Drawing on research from psychologists, neurologists, sociologists, and others, Fast breaks down the workings of the various heuristics that inform the process of coming to decisions for most people, and he lays out how they may be effectively manipulated to play one set of human impulses against another.

In psychological terms, he writes, these warring impulses can be thought of as System 1 (the unconscious, “automatic” mind) and System 2 (the conscious, controlling mind); the tension between arises, he says, from the typical human craving for comfort via familiarity.

In these energetically written pages, which include numerous stock illustrations and photos to make individual points, Fast dissects a wide variety of cognitive tendencies from self-censorship to “groupthink” to biases such as the sunk-cost fallacy.

He’s excellent at clarifying these concepts, using examples from history and current events to illuminate how people hinder their own decision-making abilities. Readers are sure to see themselves in some of Fast’s examples and will likely learn a lot from them.

A fast-paced, thought-provoking behavioral blueprint.

The author did a lot of research on the subject of unconscious decision-making and is well-versed in the concepts. Everything the author talks about makes sense to the average reader, and the book is well-written and clear. A must-read for people with a knack for making bad decisions, which is most of us, honestly.

My Take Away The Challenge of Choice

According to the author, we are merely observers of our subconscious and, subsequently, our lives. If that is the case, then why bother making choices if we will never know for sure what the outcome will be? The author covers all that!

The Challenge of Choice is quite enlightening and sheds a great deal of light on the way we think and decide. After reading this book, making a simple choice will never be the same again.

Second-guessing yourself is not always a good thing, especially when making critical, life-changing choices. But some of the ideas in the book make much more sense when you look back at many of the choices you’ve made.

The author did a lot of research on the subject of unconscious decision-making and is well-versed in the concepts. Everything the author talks about makes sense to the average reader, and the book is well-written and clear.

You will have a much better understanding of the issues regarding decision-making in general. Information about the subject of making important decisions will have quite an impact on those you will make in the future.

The Challenge of Choice will help you understand the way your mind operates and the steps it takes to make final decisions. The simple formulas used in the book to help you make a more informed decision may take some time to get used to.

After reading this book, you won’t make a perfect decision every time, but you will have much better chances of success when using the advice from the book for future decision-making.

The Challenge of Choice by Richard Fast is not an instant solution to bad decisions but rather a long-term remedy. It is a must-read for people with a knack for making bad decisions, which is most of us, honestly.

Audience: 

Young adults and adults interested in bettering their lives through enlightened, empowered decision-making.

Fast presents a thought-provoking exploration of decision-making, dissecting the complexities that underlie our choices.  A well-crafted journey into the psychology of decision-making, blending insightful anecdotes, historical perspectives, and practical advice. A must-read book for those seeking to enhance their decision-making skills.

THE CHALLENGE OF CHOICE…how to make a “good” decision when it REALLY matters!

Loved it! 😍

A must-read book for those seeking to enhance their decision-making skills.

In The Challenge of Choice… how to make a good decision when it REALLY matters, Richard Fast presents a thought-provoking exploration of decision-making, dissecting the complexities that underlie our choices. The book unfolds in a methodical manner, with each chapter building on the previous, gradually revealing the details of cognitive biases and their impact on our decision-making process. Fast emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, challenging assumptions, and the need to engage both System 1 and System 2 thinking. The author offers a comprehensive guide, culminating in “The Anatomy of a Good Decision,” a seven-step process designed to foster clear, unbiased, and objective decision-making in critical situations.

The book is a well-crafted journey into the psychology of decision-making, blending insightful anecdotes, historical perspectives, and practical advice. Fast succeeds in making complex psychological concepts accessible to a broad audience, and the real-world examples effectively illustrate the concepts discussed. The organization of the book allows readers to gradually delve deeper into the subject matter, providing a structured learning experience. However, at times, the content might feel dense, requiring careful attention to fully grasp the nuances presented. Despite this, the author’s engaging writing style keeps the reader invested throughout, making it an enlightening read for those seeking to enhance their decision-making skills.

I would highly recommend The Challenge of Choice to anyone interested in understanding the intricacies of decision-making and improving their ability to make critical choices. It caters to a diverse audience, from individuals navigating personal decisions to professionals seeking to enhance their decision-making in the workplace.

The book’s practical approach, coupled with the comprehensive guide in “The Anatomy of a Good Decision,” provides valuable tools for self-improvement. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars for its informative content, practical insights, and the author’s skillful communication of complex concepts in an accessible manner.

In this informative book, Fast advises, “the degree of happiness and satisfaction you’ll get out of life will ultimately come down to the quality of the decisions you make.” Fast makes a decisive argument for why decision-making skills are crucial and are something every one of us can learn to do. His straightforward guidance can be applied across a variety of settings.

The Challenge of Choice … how to make a “good” decision when it REALLY matters!

In this informative guide on making good decisions, Fast (author of Obesity … It’s NOT what YOU THINK it Is!) advises, “the degree of happiness and satisfaction you’ll get out of life will ultimately come down to the quality of the decisions you make.” He cautions readers to avoid relying solely on intuition, offering instead a seven-step decision-making process that outlines how to approach decisions scientifically, obtain objective feedback, and differentiate facts from bias and assumption. Good decisions are in everyone’s reach, Fast writes, asserting that “Becoming a skilled decision-maker is not about constantly striving to be right––it’s about being right when it really counts, and that is something every one of us can learn to do.”

Readers will appreciate the hands-on assessments, quizzes, and exercises Fast offers, making this resource not only technical but also well-rounded and accessible. He begins with an evaluation that identifies cognitive weaknesses, pointing out that everyone can fall prey to “lazy thinking” and bias that will negatively influence decision-making.

Readers will find other handy tools throughout, namely a quiz that assesses current decision-making skills, case studies to illustrate the guide’s concepts and a glossary of relevant terms. Fast breaks down the different facets that can impact decision-making, including groupthink, heuristics (“simple, efficient rules that help us form judgements and make decisions”), and cognitive biases—such as the tendency to ignore information that contradicts current beliefs and a preference for the status quo to remain unchanged.

Ultimately, Fast makes a decisive argument for why decision-making skills are crucial, and his straightforward guidance can be applied across a variety of settings. In his own words, decision-making is both a necessity and a privilege: “The defining feature of being a member of the human race––as opposed to any other creature on our planet––is our singular ability to make choices.”

Takeaway: Comprehensive guide on the art of choice.

Comparable Titles: Patrik Edblad’s The Decision-Making Blueprint, Joseph Bikart’s The Art of Decision Making.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: NA
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

This book is chock-full of great information, fun facts, interesting quizzes, and fascinating real-world examples that will take you on a fascinating journey into the inner workings of the human mind.

New Book Teaches Decision Making and Inner Workings of the Human Mind

What’s It About?

This book will challenge the way you think about making critical decisions by taking you on a fascinating journey into the inner workings of the human mind.

Decisions, decisions, decisions…our lives are filled with them. Some are small like what to make for dinner or which TV show to watch tonight. Even small decisions like these can be difficult to make, but they aren’t likely to impact your life over the long term. Others, however, can actually have life-changing implications and that’s the kind author Richard Fast examines in his book, The Challenge of Choice… how to make a ‘good’ decision when it REALLY matters! 

Author, Fast, says, “The defining feature of being a member of the human race…is our singular ability to make choices…we humans face one choice after another for our entire lives.” But he goes on to say that “feeling right” and “being right” aren’t the same thing, which is ultimately the problem. Just when you feel confident in your decision that is exactly the time you would be “wise to reevaluate your choice.” But who does that?? This is where the challenge comes into play. 

“…The key to becoming a skilled decision-maker, and enjoying a lifetime of decisional success, is to become acutely aware of the most common pitfalls of poor decisions while at the same time learning to follow a rational, simple decision-making formula. Becoming a skilled decision-maker is not about constantly striving to be right – it’s about being right when it really counts, and that is something every one of us can learn to do.”

This book is chock-full of great information, fun facts, interesting quizzes, and fascinating real-world examples. Before you even begin, you are asked to answer the “19 Very Short, Very Quick Questions” quiz which is a great jumping-off point to learning about yourself, how your brain works, and your usual decision-making process. 

One of my very favorite quotes opens up an early chapter, “We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.” (Anais Nin). In Chapter 2, Fast talks about making sense of your senses. As he mentions, “You’re certainly entitled to put complete trust in your senses, but if you do you’d be wrong!” What??? But it’s true. The author explains that our “personal reality isn’t the perception of what is actually ‘out there,’ but rather it’s an observation of what is going on inside our heads.” Fast goes on to explain that the root cause of bad decisions is actually the way our brain works.

We use many unconscious routines, known as “heuristics” that usually work well for us, but they are not foolproof. There are so many examples of times when we see things a certain way just because we believe it to be true, but it doesn’t necessarily make it so. Think about those “quizzes” floating around on social media – is the dress blue and white or is it white and gold? Everyone seems to “see” it differently, but how can that be? 

“You do not perceive what’s out there; you perceive whatever your brain tells you to perceive…and your brain is frequently wrong, which means that when it comes to making important decisions the ramifications are huge!”

In the next several chapters of the book, Fast amazes the reader with examples and explanations about second-guessing your sight, taste, sensorimotor illusions, etc.

The key is to learn how to spot these cognitive illusions, including cognitive laziness, confirmation bias, regression to the mean, status quo bias and so much more, which all help to “lead to poor choices and bad judgments and once you can do that then you can learn how to follow a decision-making process to help you make those all-important life-changing decisions with total confidence.” 

Fast calls his 7-step decision-making process, “The Anatomy of a Good Decision” and he shows you this step-by-step process to help you make good decisions when it really matters (whether in your personal life or at work). 

This is a wonderful book with extremely valuable and interesting information. Have some big important decisions coming up in your future? Then The Challenge of Choice is a perfect book for you. Let Richard Fast teach you how to make a GOOD decision…not just an “ok” one!

OBESITY … it’s NOT what YOU THINK it is!

OBESITY … exposes the endless myths around the greatest health crisis we’ve ever faced because it is destroying our health and the future health of our children.

Obesity is a health issue; it is NOT a weight issue; in fact, skinny people suffer from obesity as much as the rest of us.

When people understand the actual cause of obesity, they will also know the cure, which means knowing how to maximize their health without dieting, counting calories, buying nonsensical products or food restrictions of any kind.

Editorial Book Reviews

Fast can hardly ignore the matter of food and its effects. In fact, he opens his chock-full-of-info book with the line, “Our relationship with food is broken. Consequently, so is our health.” And that’s the essence of this most unique work, in its engaging tone, mountains of advice, and observations about how savvy marketing and an avalanche of media misinformation have led us astray. Some powerful food for thought.

Wellness Coach’s Unique Perspective on Health and Obesity

What’s It About

Despite what we’ve been told, obesity is not a weight issue, it’s a health issue, and it’s resulting in the greatest health crises we’ve ever faced. “Obesity” examines the culprit, the cause, and the cure of this global epidemic.

Are you kidding? Is it just me, or are you also amused by a book on better understanding obesity written by a guy named “fast”?

Actually, for anyone who has fallen for the myth implied above, that the easiest way to combat obesity is to stop eating, then it is highly suggested that you read this book, Obesity…It’s Not What You Think It Is, by Richard Fast.

The Global Obesity Epidemic

On the subject of obesity, Fast can hardly ignore the matter of food and its effects. In fact, he opens his chock-full-of-info book with the line, “Our relationship with food is broken. Consequently, so is our health.”

And that’s the essence of this most unique work, in its engaging tone, mountains of advice, and observations about how savvy marketing and an avalanche of media misinformation have led us astray.

“The media has become a never-ending stream of studies, warnings, contradictions, conspiracies and retractions,” Fast writes. “What was good for us a few years ago suddenly isn’t. What wasn’t unexpectedly is.”

Yet obesity is real. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, worldwide obesity tripled between 1975 and 2016. In 2017, one in five adults in America was classified as “morbidly obese.”

The Cause, The Culprit, The Cure

Fast breaks down his book into three segments: The Cause, The Culprit and The Cure. Is the culprit any big surprise? “The global obesity pandemic is a direct result of what we eat — too much ultra-processed, nutrient-void garbage.”

Any diet that revolves around “cheap, fast and convenient” can’t be all that good. Fast argues that Big Food (like Big Tobacco) tries to give us the illusion of social responsibility but not at the expense of their own bottom lines.

The book is loaded with research reports, scientific studies, charts, graphs, quotes, product information, corporate strategies and personal observations of how we got to where we are. While the findings are often harrowing, Fast presents them in a compelling and entertaining manner.

A Change in Perspective

But he doesn’t stop with history lessons and societal influences.

In part three, The Cure, Fast reemphasizes his focus on health rather than weight. And while he talks about a number of ideas and strategies, underneath it all is the belief that the solution lies in the proper mindset, or perspective. And you can’t get there with gimmicks.

Fast says he experienced both sensational success and colossal failure, but that failures are the greatest teachers. “After enduring a string of them because of horrible decisions, I was determined to discover if there was an identifiable cause of poor choices or if it was merely the result of genetics, circumstances, and maybe just random luck.”

He notes how he tried everything from willpower to hypnosis to acupuncture to nicotine gum, exercise bikes, New Year’s resolutions, you name it, only to find he came out the other end as the same person. It was not until he viewed things from a different vantage point, changing his beliefs, that he could hurdle his obstacles.

A Powerful Wakeup Call

In the end, while Fast can help educate readers, the decisions as to what choices they make are strictly up to them.

“The obesity pandemic is no illusion. We urgently need to wake up from our ‘food’-induced trance because whether we realize it or not, we’re in a fight for the highest stakes possible… our health and the future health of our children.”

Some powerful food for thought. Obesity…It’s Not What You Think It Is might be the best wakeup call you’ll find.

Fast does something unique compared to a lot of books in this area: he analyzes every stage of the process with a lot of care. This is very important because a lot of books only focus on the solution while this author creates a lot of context, which can help a lot of people to understand their current state of affairs.  The solutions are interesting and simple. This is a very interesting book because it’s not developed in the traditional sense. It offers multiple insights that conventional weight loss books don’t do. A very good book and one that, hopefully, gets the attention it deserves because it has a lot to offer to the general public.  

 My take on OBESITY: it’s NOT what YOU THINK it is!

Weight loss could very well be one of the greatest debates across the world. Everybody wants to be in shape, and everybody wants a quick way to do so, which is why there are so many books, YouTube videos, influencers, and so on, offering people the fix they need. However, this also comes with a cost: the fact that a lot of those guys are just charlatans who want to sell you a product instead of doing what is best for you.

In that regard, it is understandable if people hold this belief for Richard Fast’s book. At this point of the game, there are tons of books that are focused on weight loss, and many of them aren’t all that, which is why a big part of the audience is already tired of these products. But is worth pointing out that this book has something very special.

Fast does something that is very unique compared to a lot of books in this area: he analyzes every stage of the process with a lot of care. This is very important because a lot of books only focus on the solution while this author creates a lot of context, which can help a lot of people to understand their current state of affairs.

On the other hand, I found the writing quite easy to digest. While the author has to explain a lot of different things to the reader, he does it in a way that is easy to digest (pun intended), and that plays a big role in helping people understand what the problem with weight loss usually is. Vocabulary and writing are very important when communicating your ideas, and Fast does a very good job in that regard.

The solutions are interesting and simple. You can tell that Fast is very knowledgeable on this topic and delivers the information in a way that isn’t overwhelming at all, and that plays a huge role in the way that things are handled. This is a very interesting book because is not developed in the traditional sense, offering multiple insights that conventional weight loss books don’t do.

This is a major selling point for the project because it flows very well and adds to the experience, which is something worth taking into account. There are several tips and advice that the author states in the book that make it a very worthwhile experience while being easy to understand.

It is true that there are no perfect books and that weight loss as a concept is not the most complicated thing in the world, but part of this book’s appeal is the fact that it shows the entire journey to the reader. While is true that is up to every single person to make a change in their lives, this book is a very strong companion in that particular experience, and the author definitely knows what he is talking about.

A very good book and one that, hopefully, gets the attention it deserves because it has a lot to offer to the general public.

OBESITY … it’s NOT what YOU THINK it is!  is a fascinating and highly informative look at how to get healthy and stay that way by making wise choices about what we eat and why we eat it. It also explores how we got ourselves into an obesity predicament and more importantly, how we can get out.

OBESITY … It’s NOT what YOU THINK it is!

OBESITY: It’s NOT what YOU THINK it is!  is a fascinating and highly informative look at how to get healthy and stay that way by making wise choices about what we eat and why we eat it. It also explores how we got ourselves into an obesity predicament and more importantly, how we can get out.

This book is divided into four main sections or parts. Part 1 is The Problem.Part 2 is The Culprit. Part 3 is The Cause. Party 4 is The Cure. 

Part 1 explains how people can be overweight and undernourished at the same time. It includes a look at the one common factor that could cause nationwide weight gain. (It’s not what you think.) We soon learn that the global obesity pandemic is a direct result of eating too much “ultra-processed, nutrient-void garbage.”

The author explains what this is and how most Americans got hooked on this type of “food,” beginning in the early 20th century. Also how processed and packaged foods became a “cornerstone” of the average American diet. It’s eye-opening, informative, and educational. Some readers may get a little confused with the inclusion of “Big Food” and “Big Tobacco” tactics. Be patient. It makes sense later. An example is the Coca-Cola Employs The Best ‘Scientific’ Studies Money Can Buy! Section. This lays out how Coca-Cola launched a misleading ad campaign for its product. It will get your attention. And possibly make your blood boil. The section on How to Get a Planet Fat discusses the causes and consequences of rising obesity rates around the world. 

Additional sections discuss the “war” between two food systems – a “traditional diet” of real food once produced by farmers vs. the producers of “ultra-processed food.” The latter is designed to be over-consumed and may be addictive, says the author. He also shows us how and why food consumers are “conned” and “addicted” to Big Food’s advertising and food manipulation.

Part 3, The Cause, is fascinating, informative, and illuminating. One of the most interesting and eye-opening sections is UPFs (Ultra-Processed Foods): Tasty, Cheap, Ubiquitous and oh So Profitable. Ditto Why Are Ultra-Processed goods so Hard to Resist and Understanding ‘Real’ Food.

Part 4, The Cure, includes thinking in terms of total health. This starts with developing a better appreciation of “real food.” The author shows us how and why to do that. He winds down with, “Our children have been conned, addicted and manipulated. The Big Food companies are getting fabulously wealthy by selling us slow-acting poison. Is that acceptable?” He then urges readers to take ownership of their food choices and health. “It begins with awareness,” he writes. This book is a good place to start.

There are a lot of data in this book. It includes many references to various food campaigns, programs, advertising, studies, and research, etc. You don’t have to have a medical degree or be a board-certified nutritionist to assort this out or follow the bouncing ball. It’s laid out in clear language that’s easy to follow. Additionally, the entire book clocks in at just over one hundred pages. So it’s not overwhelming or overly technical.

In fact, OBESITY: It’s NOT what YOU THINK it is! is straight-forward and easy to understand. Numerous charts, graphics and photos illustrate key points throughout the text. These are helpful and eye-catching. Each section concludes with an extensive list of references. Be sure to check out the About Me section at the end of the book.

Finally, I have a close relative who’s struggling with obesity. The information in this book will no doubt be helpful. You might also want to grab a copy before your next trip to the grocery store. It’ll make you think twice. Or maybe thrice. And that’s kind of the whole point.

In this straightforward, eye-opening guide to eating healthy, Fast offers an informative and honest exploration of rising obesity rates—and what can be done about it.” The cure for obesity is not to focus on weight; it’s to focus on health,”  A no-holds-barred look into the rising obesity rates and ways to get healthy.

OBESITY … It’s NOT what YOU THINK it is!

In this straightforward, eye-opening guide to eating healthy, Fast offers an informative and honest exploration of rising obesity rates—and what can be done about it.”

The cure for obesity is not to focus on weight; it’s to focus on health,” Fast writes.

With a high focus on actual consumption over calorie counting and exercise, Obesity is a no-nonsense exploration into food, health, and the human relationship with it. Highlighting the culprits, the causes, and the cure, Fast shares much practical advice, plus interviews with big food companies, examinations of the impact of “ultra-processed foods” (which Fast notes are “NOT food” at all), and scientific case studies with real results about food intake and its subsequent health impact.

Correlating one’s intake of processed foods and the effects of addiction, Obesity sheds light on how processed foods can create an addictive type of craving in the human body and rewire the brain to want more, simulating the effect of never feeling fully satisfied.

Citing the easy access people have today to processed foods, Fast makes the case that it’s not how much one eats that determines weight gain but what one is eating. The key, explored in clear, inviting language, is eating whole, natural foods, as opposed to processed foods, which lack natural nutrients, can drastically change one’s health and overall body composition. Obesity also delves into the business of “big food” companies, such as Coca-Cola and Nestle, whose profits can come at the cost of consumer health. 

From 1985, when no state had an obesity rate over 15%, to 2020 when 35 states had an obesity rate over 30%, Fast shows through data and research the alarming trends in obesity rates while digging deeply into their causes. Blending the polemical with pragmatic self-help, Obesity showcases steps to becoming healthy through eating high-nutrient foods and changing the way one views what one eats. This is a helpful guide for anyone in need of a health overhaul or those interested in well-researched food studies and how it pertains to weight gain.

Takeaway: A no-holds-barred look into the rising obesity rates and ways to get healthy.

Comparable Titles: Jason Fung’s The Obesity Code, Jonathan Engel’s Fat Nation.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Although the author has no medical credentials, intense research cited in the text, plus practical knowledge and first-hand applications, convinced him that worldwide obesity is a result of typical Western-style diets. Writing with a thriller’s “what happens next” flair, Fast pulls in the reader, starting with the first packaged breakfast cereals, which replaced the eggs/bacon/porridge of decades ago.  Attractively illustrated and clearly expressed, the author builds to an indictment of processed foods and the Big Food industry. Avoiding a dry recitation of medical studies, Fast makes his point with easy-to-understand research and anecdotes. 

Obesity … It’s NOT What YOU THINK It Is!

Richard Fast  – 29 Days Publishing, 123 pages, (paperback) $16, 9780987919397    (Reviewed: September 2023)

Food has become both friend and foe, says longtime author and health and wellness coach Richard Fast. Obesity has exploded worldwide, but the usual suspects – lack of physical activity and personal responsibility for dieting – are not the prime reasons for this rise, he writes. Three in four Americans are considered obese, Fast maintains, but food companies still reject the link between consumption of ultra-processed foods and the obesity epidemic.

Although the author has no medical credentials, intense research cited in the text, plus practical knowledge and first-hand applications, convinced him that worldwide obesity is a result of typical Western-style diets. Writing with a thriller’s “what happens next” flair, Fast pulls in the reader, starting with the first packaged breakfast cereals, which replaced the eggs/bacon/porridge of decades ago.

Attractively illustrated and clearly expressed, the author builds to an indictment of processed foods and the Big Food industry. The plot thickens with the introduction of cheaper and larger food portions, fast food outlets, high-fructose corn syrup sweeteners and sophisticated marketing – in short, today’s addictive, ultra-processed convenience foods.

Avoiding a dry recitation of medical studies, Fast makes his point with easy-to-understand research and anecdotes. In one study, a physician subjected himself to a month of processed foods, including pizzas, fried chicken and sugary cereals and gained 15 pounds. When Fast cites the fictional Dr. Faust’s deal with the devil, he connects fiction and reality: “Let’s recognize it for what it is; a carnival of trickery and deceit that generates billions of dollars in profit for Big Food at the expense of our declining health.”

While Fast makes a convincing argument that changing to unprocessed fare will show an almost immediate health benefit, the reader must look elsewhere for details on how to purchase and prepare these foods. As the author connects processed foods and the food industry to the obesity epidemic, however, he validates the need to change our food consumption to improve overall health.

Also available as an ebook and audio book.

While Big Food’s dastardly tactics have, of course, been well covered elsewhere, the author offers an engaging, eye-opening tour through suspicious or misleading propaganda and scientifically valid findings. Best of all, his book provides support and vision regarding the “surprisingly simple way” that Fast himself lost 30 pounds and regained vitality and health. 

OBESITY … it’s NOT what YOU THINK it is!

Fast highlights how world obesity is rising due to ultra-processed food consumption and industry strategies fueling this unhealthy eating in this nonfiction work.

The author, an entrepreneur and wellness coach, was in his mid-50s when, “for the first time in my life, I began to understand the challenges of weight loss” and “like the ardent researcher I am, I began investigating weight loss and obesity.”

“We urgently need to wake up from our ‘food’ induced trance,” writes Fast, serving up an effective wake-up call with this well-researched appeal.

While Big Food’s dastardly tactics have, of course, been well covered elsewhere, the author offers an engaging, eye-opening tour through suspicious or misleading propaganda and scientifically valid findings. Best of all, his book provides support and vision regarding the “surprisingly simple way” that Fast himself lost 30 pounds and regained vitality and health.

A compelling argument to question food industry–sponsored studies and focus on eating whole foods.

If you would like to inquire about me speaking to your organization or event, let’s begin a conversation to see if I can help.

Email: richard@richardfast.com

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